Pokémon: The Paralyzed Planet
by Flying Dragonite
Summary: Prequel to PMD2. "Grovyle. You are the best partner I could ever ask for. ...he will NEVER replace you, Grovyle. To me, you're my best and only friend, a friend for life… A friend that will last forever, beyond the boundaries of time and space. No matter what happens, even after we disappear from this world, we will always be friends. Together…" "Forever," Grovyle finished.
1. Chapter 1: Dusknoir

**Authors note: Hello everyone! This is my first fan fiction ever, but I've been working on it for years! Anyways, this is the first chapter. It is my take on the prequel to Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time/Darkness/Sky, but mostly Sky. Spoilers abound! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the pokémon or game elements in this fan fiction, just Haley and her mom, and the different personalities of the Planetary Investigation team's members. Enjoy****!**

Pokémon: The Paralyzed Planet

Preface:

I live in a world of darkness. In this world of darkness, no sun shines, the day never comes, and the wind never blows. The darkness is caused by time being stopped. The planet is paralyzed, unmoving. Thus, the sun never rises, and the winds no longer blow. My name is Haley, and I am 14 years old. I am fighting the darkness, and trying to restore the world to its original state. Let me tell you my story.

Chapter 1: Dusknoir

There was a knock on the door. My mom paused. "Who could that be?" We never got visitors. Pokémon mostly stayed away, and humans were few and far apart. My mom got up and opened the door. She let out a gasp.

"What? Who is it?" I got up and made my way to the door. Before I got there, however, a voice sounded from the doorway.

"Excuse me Madam, but I must speak with your daughter."

"My daughter? I have never seen you before, so why should I even let you in? Haley, do you know this pokémon?" I came forward. There, in the doorway, was a large pokémon, taller than my mom, with one eye and a protuberance on his head, like an antenna. He had a dark gray, very large body, and his stomach had a mouth on it. He was floating above the ground, his short tail nearly touching it.

"Sorry, I have no idea who you are." I addressed the pokémon. He looked unsurprised.

"I didn't expect you to. I am Dusknoir. My employer would like to meet you."

"Your employer? What would they want with me? How do they know about me?" I was flabbergasted.

"You can see things, can't you? Things other people can't." Dusknoir spoke matter-a-factly.

"How do you know that!" I spoke sharply. I had never told anyone about my visions other than my mom. Dusknoir smiled. "Well, my employer knows a lot of things that other people don't."

"Who is your employer?" My mom spoke now.

"My employer's identity is confidential." Dusknoir spoke lightly, but firmly.

"Don't you think I should know who my daughter is going to see before I make the decision?" Dusknoir laughed.

"You don't have a choice in the matter. I came to tell you that Haley is coming with me, whether you like it or not. It will be easier if she comes of her own accord, but I will take her by force if I have to."

I gasped. "Mom, maybe it's better if I just go with him. I can take care of myself, you know." My mom looked pained, but she knew that she couldn't win a fight with this pokémon.

"Ok, I can see that I can't stop this. But be careful."

I smiled sadly.

"I always am. Bye, mom." I grabbed my bag, which had my exploring needs inside of it. Dusknoir led the way outside. He turned to me.

"I am sorry about being so forceful, but my employer really wants to meet you, and he won't take no for an answer. I also have to tell you, the way to his tower is long and yes, dangerous. I can see that you have experience exploring, but this road will be fraught with dangers such as you have never faced. Granted, I will be with you, but I am not infallible." I frowned, wondering.

"Why does your employer live in such a dangerous place?" Dusknoir smiled.

"It's not dangerous for him. You see, my employer is Dialga."

"WHAT?" I was beyond surprised, I was amazed. "I thought Dialga was like, dead or something. If Dialga is alive, then why is time still stopped? Doesn't he govern time?" Dusknoir's smile disappeared.

"He can't fix time, because Temporal Tower collapsed."

"Temporal Tower? What's that?" Dusknoir paused.

"I'm not sure I should be the one telling you this, but you'll find out soon enough, and I've led you on. Temporal Tower is the tower where Dialga governed time. Temporal Tower regulated time, so when it collapsed, time went out of control, and Dialga was powerless to stop it."

"Is there no way to reverse the destruction of Temporal Tower? Or fix the tower in some way?" I asked.

"Not that we know of. Dialga has tried to think of ways to fix the tower, but it is damaged beyond repair." I was shocked. I had always thought that Dialga was dead or had lost control of himself. Now that I knew that Dialga was alive, just helpless, I felt angry.

"Didn't Dialga notice that Temporal Tower was collapsing? Why didn't he do something while the tower was still standing?" I demanded.

"Dialga noticed, alright." Dusknoir began again, his voice ominous. "He tried to fix the tower, and when he failed, he sent for help." Dusknoir's voice deepened with disgust. "The other legendary pokémon couldn't be bothered to help Dialga, and Temporal Tower was left to collapse unaided." Dusknoir's voice shook, and then died as he finished his tale.

I was shaking by the end of the story, and when I spoke, my voice resounded my fury. "Why didn't Dialga force them to help him? Why didn't he punish them? It's their fault that we now have to live in a world of unrelenting darkness, a darkness that is irreparable!" Dusknoir shook his head.

"Dialga couldn't force the others to help him, and after time stopped, Dialga lost control for a while. He was in no fit state to punish anyone, even if he had wanted to. And it wasn't their fault that Temporal Tower collapsed. They were as powerless as Dialga. They shouldn't have refused to help Dialga, but it wasn't their fault." I stared at Dusknoir in disbelief.

"How can you stand up for them? Aren't you as angry as I am about this darkness? You can't LIKE living in this dark and depressing world!" I didn't understand.

"I am no longer angry. I have accepted that there is no way to reverse the darkness, so I do not dwell on what cannot be changed." Dusknoir replied. "We must go if we're going to get anywhere today." He avoided my gaze, as if he was hiding something. I decided not to press him, because he clearly didn't want to talk about it, and I didn't know him that well yet.

"Where do we start?" I asked.

"This way," Dusknoir led the way, looking relieved that I had stopped questioning him. We climbed down a waterfall, and continued on our way.

**Authors note: How did you like the chapter? I'm going to be posting this every week hopefully, but don't kill me if I don't get them out in time, I am a procrastinator. Good thing I already have a bunch of chapters written, because I have a thing for deadlines… but anyways, REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW! Please…**


	2. Chapter 2: Dungeons

**Author's Note: Hello! Here's the new chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything except Haley, her mom, and the various personalities of the Planetary Investigation Team's members.**

Chapter 2: Dungeons

Soon we came to the entrance to a dungeon. Dusknoir stopped.

"I take it that you know what a dungeon is?" He asked me.

"Yes," I replied. "A dungeon is a path with many levels, and it is like a maze. The layout of a dungeon changes each time you go in, so it's never the same. Each time you enter, there is different pokémon, different items and money. They are really great places to explore." I added. Dusknoir looked satisfied.

"You really do know a lot about dungeons." He complimented me. I felt myself blush. I was beginning to like this guy.

"But do you know how to fight pokémon?" he asked, looking concerned. I shook my head.

"No, my mom hadn't gotten around to it yet." I told him. "She was going to show me next week."

"Well, you are going to have to learn how to fight, because the pokémon that live in dungeons are not nice, and will attack you just for being in the dungeon. The worst part is that they know each other, so there is no fooling them, and no way to turn them against one another," Dusknoir went on.

"Have you heard about TM bracelets?"

"No, but I know what a TM is. A TM is a machine that teaches pokémon moves." I replied.

"That is true, and a TM bracelet gives humans the power to use pokémon moves as well." Dusknoir explained.

"Wow! Humans can use pokémon moves? That's very useful!" I exclaimed. Dusknoir smiled.

"I have some if you would like to use them. I have no use for them, but I brought them in case you needed them. I can't protect you. There are too many pokémon in the dungeons we'll be going into." He rummaged in his bag, and then he brought out several shiny disks. "These are TM bracelets." He showed me the disks. Engraved on the side were the names of the moves. I read them aloud.

"Ember, Water Gun, Razor Leaf, Shadow Ball, Psychic, Bite, Poison Jab, Ice Beam, DragonBreath, Iron Tail, Rock Smash, Scratch, ThunderShock, Peck, Pin Missile, Earthquake, and Rock Throw. Wow. That is a lot of moves." I commented.

Dusknoir replied, "There are seventeen here, one for each pokémon type. These moves are mostly beginning moves that have evolutions, like pokémon. For instance, Ember can turn into Lava Plume, and then into Flamethrower, but each new move has to be learned. So you can have both Flamethrower and Ember at the same time. You can only choose four to carry on you, because you are only allowed four moves to be available at one time." I thought about it. '_It all depends on what kinds of pokémon I'll be fighting. But I should also think of the pokémon I __might__ have to fight._' Out loud, I told him,

"Can I have Earthquake, DragonBreath, Ice Beam, and Shadow Ball?" He handed them to me.

"Here, let me show you how to put them on." He opened the sides of them, and secured them around my wrists, and closed them. "They shouldn't fall off now." He said, and stowed the rest in his bag. "Are you ready?" He asked me.

"Yes, I think I am. How do you activate them? I mean, how do I use the move?" I wondered.

"When you need to use them, you'll know how to use them. With those on your wrists, the moves will come naturally when you decide to use them." He replied, turning back to the entrance of the dungeon.

We continued onward, and entered the dungeon. Dusknoir led the way, pausing at intersections for only moments before making his choice. After a couple dead ends, we found the stairs. We went up the stairs onto the next floor, where a few pokémon were hanging around. One of them, a Porygon, raised its head when we came up the stairs. It called an alarm to its fellow pokémon.

The pokémon rushed towards us, blocking the escape from the room.

"Get out of here!" One of the porygon snarled at us. "This is our place! If you don't get out now, we'll make you get out!" Dusknoir laughed.

"And you'll make us? How? You don't expect to win a fight do you?" Dusknoir's voice was cold, edged with a cruelty I hadn't yet heard from him. The porygon paused for a minute, sizing us up. Then they snarled, and pounced at us. I was furious. Dodging to one side, I leapt out of the way of one of the porygon pouncing at me. I turned and formed a sphere with my hands. I could feel the power rushing beneath my skin. I pulled my hands back, and unleashed a Shadow Ball at him. He cursed, trying to leap out of the way, but finding himself blocked by his own comrades. The Shadow Ball hit him, and he staggered, then leapt at me again, I wasn't fast enough to avoid him, and he slashed at me with his claws. '_Fury Swipes!_' I cursed the move, and lashed out at him, stopping his flailing claws. I could feel myself weakening, but I also knew that his strength was failing as well. '_Better finish the fight now, before I have no strength left,_' I thought, as I dodged the porygon once again. Dusknoir had finished off two of the porygon, but there was still three more attacking him. I made my decision quickly. I fought my way to his side, and whispered to him.

"I'm going to use earthquake, so now would be a good time to enter the walls." I was referring to how Dusknoir was a ghost-type pokémon, so he could enter the walls to avoid damage from earthquake. He nodded, and slipped into the wall. The porygon shrieked with delight, perhaps thinking that he was fleeing, and rushed at me. I jumped up, and landed on the ground, my fist buried into the floor. I had expected pain, but no pain came. Instead, the floor shook, and the porygon were panicking. The whole room was shaking now, and the porygon took one last, frightened look at me, and fled the room. I shouted after them,

"That's right, cowards! Run and hide like little babies!" I was so mad, I was shaking.

"You did well." Dusknoir had come out of the wall. "I was surprised, actually. You did better than I had expected. I think you have a gift." I looked at him, and I was surprised by how much his praise meant to me. After all, I had only met him today. But there was something about this pokémon that made me want to sing. He was so nice, so helpful, and he had earned my respect faster than I would have thought possible. We continued through the dungeon, and no pokémon gave us as much trouble as those porygon.

Finally, we made it out of the dungeon. Dusknoir stopped.

"I think we should stop here to eat and rest until tomorrow." I nodded, too tired to say much. We ate in silence, and then said our goodnights. "Tomorrow, we'll make better time." Dusknoir promised, before I drifted off to sleep.

**Authors note: I would recommend playing the game before reading this, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Explorers of Time, Darkness, or Sky. I have tried to write the story in a way that people that don't know pokémon or played the game can understand it, but still. This fan fiction contains spoilers for the game. REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW!**


	3. Chapter 3: The Hidden Land

**A/N: Spoilers! Just a warning. So anyways, yeah. I don't know what to say. Whatever. Read and enjoy! So today is a double update, as you can see, in thanks to my reviewers. Oh, as a reward, I will be mentioning you guys in my author's notes, hope you don't mind. This double update was brought to you by Pokegirl360 because of her insistence that I update. Hahaha. Pokegirl360, for some reason, I can't reply to you privately, so thank you so much. I'm glad you liked the chapter, hope these two are up to scratch for you. Thank you also to Bioniclefan234 and ThunderRiver411 for your reviews!**

**Disclaimer: I only own Haley, and her mom. I just realized that I can't own personalities. Hahaha. Still, don't plagiarize me!**

Chapter 3: The Hidden Land

We traveled long and hard over the next few weeks, weeks being a relative term here, as the sun didn't shine. We were climbing a large, steep hill, and as we got to the top, I let out a gasp. The view was amazing!

Even in the half-light that was our day, I could see for miles around from the top of the hill. Below us was a long, grassy valley, few trees as far as I could see, with barely any inhabitants, by the looks of it. As my eyes traveled upward, I let out another gasp. Far ahead, a large tower dominated the skyline. That wasn't what had surprised me. What surprised me was that the tower seemed to be _floating in mid air_!

"Dusknoir!" My voice was sharp with surprise and disbelief. "Is that tower floating?" Dusknoir looked up.

"Yes, it is. That, my friend, is where we want to go. That is Temporal Tower. From here on, this land is what people call the Hidden Land."

"The Hidden Land? Why is it called that? And is that really Temporal Tower?" I broke in. Dusknoir smiled.

"Yes, that is really Temporal Tower. People call this the Hidden Land, because before time collapsed, Dialga hid the Hidden Land from the world, fearing that outsiders would bring ruin to the tower. But now there is no point to hide Temporal Tower, so Dialga revealed Temporal Tower to the world, to make it easier for me to come and go." Dusknoir continued, while walking down the steep path, "We should be safe from here on, because the pokémon of the Hidden Land know me."

Dusknoir and I walked on, carefully traveling down the slope. Soon the land leveled out and we walked in silence for a time. Dusknoir suddenly stopped.

"Haley, do you hear that?" He asked me. I stopped as well and listened for a while. As I was shaking my head no, there was a rustle in the bushes to my right. "I thought so! You, whoever you are, come out!" Dusknoir commanded. There was a moment's silence, and then a pokémon stepped out of the bushes. It was smaller than me, probably only 4 feet tall, and had purple skin, with eyes like gems. Dusknoir looked shocked. "A sableye! What are you doing here? Where are the rest of you?"

The sableye avoided Dusknoir's eye, as if it was afraid of Dusknoir. It mumbled, hardly loud enough to hear, "I'm lost. The others went off without me, and I don't know where they went." It hung its head in shame. I felt bad for it, but I was confused.

"Dusknoir, do you know this pokémon?" I asked, bewildered. Dusknoir sighed.

"Yes, the sableye are my underlings. They listen to my orders. And I told them to be somewhere." He added menacingly to the sableye. The sableye squeaked in terror and fell trembling at Dusknoir's feet.

"I'm sorry Lord Dusknoir! Forgive me! I didn't know!" It shrieked from its position on the ground. I glanced at Dusknoir.

'_Lord_ Dusknoir?" I questioned. Dusknoir looked uncomfortable.

"That's what they call me." He sounded embarrassed, and he continued to the sableye, "Sableye, go to the Stone Tower, and wait there for the others." The sableye nodded miserably, got up, and ran in the opposite direction.

I watched the sableye run off for a while, and then turned to Dusknoir. "We need to talk." I told him.

"About what?" He asked, looking wary.

"Need you ask? What was that all about? He looked terrified of you! And what was with all that _Lord Dusknoir _stuff?" I demanded. Dusknoir still looked uncomfortable. He replied,

"Like I said, that was a sableye, one of my underlings. And yes, he was afraid of me. They all are. You haven't seen me when I'm angry, and I have to admit, I am scary when I am angry. And again, they call me Lord Dusknoir. It is a term of respect; I assure you I did not tell them to call me that."

"Still, it just seems weird. Not just that. This whole thing. Seriously, what does Dialga want with me? Just because he knows that I see things, what does that have to do with wanting to meet me?" I asked.

"Well, the fact that you can see things is what intrigues Dialga. He wants to meet you, maybe ask you about them. To be completely honest, I don't know why he wants to meet you. But Dialga's word is law, to me at least, so I must bring you to him." Dusknoir explained. I was unsure how to respond. I shook my head, trying to shake the unpleasant thoughts in my head out.

'_What if Dusknoir is lying to you? What if Dialga gets mad at you and attacks you? How does Dialga know that you can see things? What if he knows what you've seen!_' Unbidden, these thoughts ran through my head. That last thought made me tremble to think about. I had seen terrible things in my visions, things that didn't put Dialga in a respectable light. My most recent visions had been about Dialga. In one of them, Dialga had been attacking two pokémon standing on a pinnacle. In another, Dialga was assaulting a prone figure, surrounded by ice and sharp pillars. In both of the visions, I had not been able to discern the other pokémon in the visions, but Dialga had been as clear as day.

I pushed the memories and thoughts from my mind. Surely, none of that could affect me. Dusknoir had turned back to the path.

"We have to keep moving." He said to me. Shrugging, I turned to him, and we continued on our way. By mid-afternoon, we had traveled a long distance. Turning back, I could barely see the hill that we had topped only that morning. Though we had traveled a long way, and had made good time, we still had a long way to go. According to Dusknoir, once we made it past what he called the Arch of Lapras; we still had two dungeons to go through, as well as through Temporal Tower itself.

"Let's rest for now, and get an early start tomorrow." Dusknoir told me, stopping. I nodded in agreement, and brought out our food. We ate in silence, each harkening to our own thoughts, paying each other no heed. I fell asleep almost immediately, holding a rock Dusknoir had shown to me earlier, which he claimed had come from Temporal Tower itself, and started to dream.

I was floating above a ruined pinnacle, pillars broken and scattered about the pinnacle. Dialga sat in the middle of the broken wreckage, apparently awaiting someone. But Dialga looked … wrong. He was dark, darker than he should have been, and he had a cruel, primal energy radiating from him. A pokémon came up from the staircase, opening large doors to get in, but was hidden in shadow, so I could not tell who it was.

"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting, Master Dialga. While I encountered more difficulty than anticipated, I finally succeeded … in the capture, yes." The voice sounded familiar, but I could not place it. Dialga rumbled,

"YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN BACK BEFORE NOW. DO WHAT MUST BE DONE, BEFORE I GET ANGRY." The figure shrunk back a little.

"I fully understand what must be done. Those who seek to alter the course of history must be removed from history. I will see to the elimination immediately." The figure told Dialga.

"THEN DO IT. DON'T FORGET I'LL BE WATCHING YOU." Dialga threatened. The pokémon nodded.

"I understand. As you wish. I take my leave." Then the vision went dark. The next thing I knew, Dusknoir was shaking me awake.

**A/N: Well that chapter contained major spoilers! Game players will know what Haley's visions refer to, and hints at one of the special episodes in Explorers of Sky! Oh, by the way, from now on, I'm going to have some random facts about the characters from here on out, and don't forget to REVIEW! Thanks again for your reviews! Oh, by the way, Pokegirl360, I can't update every day, I'm having some writers block, so I have to give myself some cushion so you guys don't have to wait for months for me to get over it. Sorry!**

**Random fact# 1: So maybe you're wondering about Haley's mom, she'll show up later in the story. Anyways, Her name is Gina Roane, and she has always been a good mother to Haley, but she used to dream of solving the planet's paralysis herself, but she met Haley's dad, and all her plans fell apart, so she just contents herself with being a good mother to Haley.**


	4. Chapter 4: Temporal Tower

**Author's note: Hello again, here is chapter four, I'm getting bored with writing these disclaimers, they take up so much space. Ugh!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the pokémon franchise or anything to do with pokémon at all. Just Haley and her mom.**

Chapter 4: Temporal Tower

We continued to travel, and finally, a couple days later, we reached what Dusknoir called the Old Ruins. We walked along, and I was distracted by the fantastic paintings and carvings on the walls. Most showed legendary pokémon, such as Mew, Groudon, and Kyogre. A couple of the carvings showed the legendary battles of Groudon and Kyogre; Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina.

"Wow, look at all these paintings! How did they get here, Dusknoir?" I asked, peering around at the carvings more closely.

Dusknoir said, "Anciently, the Old Ruins was a place of gatherings for humans such as yourself. It was they who put the carvings on the walls, and the ones who painted them and made them so realistic. They were honoring the legendary pokémon, as well they should. The Old Ruins had a temple, and that is where we're heading."

"A temple?" I questioned, hurrying after Dusknoir, who was floating ahead of me.

"Yes, a temple. That is where we'll get our ride to Temporal Tower." He explained, not slowing down.

"Our ride? You mean, because the tower is in the sky?" I wondered. Dusknoir nodded, keeping up the grueling pace.

"Yes, from what I understand, it is called the Rainbow Stoneship. We will take the Rainbow Stoneship up to the entrance to Temporal Tower." We came to the bottom of some stone stairs.

"Here are the steps to the Rainbow Stoneship." Dusknoir said, and led the way up the stairs. The top of the stairs was flat, perfect for performing rituals, and there was a stone tablet about three feet high in front of a large circle on the floor. In the middle of the circle was an indentation that looked as if a part of the stone had been gouged out.

Dusknoir produced a small piece of stone, and fit it into the gouged out indention. It was a perfect fit! For a minute, nothing happened, and then there was a brilliant flask of bright light. When the light cleared, the design in the circle started glowing blue and white. Then the outside of the circle started glowing with blue light. Dusknoir stepped in the circle. He motioned for me to do the same. After a brief hesitation, I joined him.

The circle started shaking, and the light changed from blue to purple, then, slowly, the circle, with us on it, started to rise into the air! It rose, slowly but surely, then started rising faster, and we were on our way to Temporal Tower.

I was amazed. Never had I before experienced something like this. Dusknoir glanced at me, and smiled when he saw my look of amazement.

"This _is_ something, I'll admit," He told me, and then went on, "The first time amazed me as well. I remember it as though it were yesterday."

"Were you born before the world got paralyzed? I asked him. Dusknoir looked startled, as though he had been expecting a different question, so that this one caught him off guard.

"No, I wasn't." He stared at me, his expression unreadable. I looked up and gasped. Temporal Tower was coming into view. Dusknoir had told me of how it had collapsed, but I was astonished at the wreckage that lay before me. The tower had obviously once been beautiful, amazing, and awe-inspiring. But the fact that I could tell that it had once been something great made the ruin of the tower that much more painful to look at. It still stood tall, but several stories seemed to have caved in, and huge chunks of stone were missing, as though they had been ripped away from the tower itself. Collapsed and ruined archways dotted the tower, while others still stood, but they were few. The tower had been silver at one point, I could tell, but in the semi-light of the darkened world, it looked bleached and gray, and the shadows were a deep black.

Dusknoir looked away from me, his expression still hard to read. He showed me where to climb so that I didn't fall, but mostly we traveled in silence, I still stunned by the ruin of the tower. By the time we got to the middle of the tower, I was too breathless to speak even if I had wanted to. We rested for a while at the mid-point of the tower, but when I got up to move on, Dusknoir stopped me.

"Before we go on, there is something that you must know." He told me, and then went on, "Dialga is not the same pokémon that he once was. The darkness has made an imprint on him. He is the same in some ways, but in others…" Dusknoir paused.

"I understand." I told him. "This perpetual darkness is enough to make anyone bitter. In fact, it makes most people and pokémon bitter." Dusknoir shook his head.

"That's not what I meant." He sighed. "This darkness… It has made Dialga … different. He is a darker pokémon than before and this darkness…" Dusknoir swallowed, and seemed to steel himself. He went on, forcing the words out. "This darkness has destroyed Dialga's reasoning. Dialga is now a dark, primordial existence. He is Primal Dialga, no longer ruled by good." He watched me, waiting for my reaction.

"I was afraid of something like this. I knew you were holding _something_ back." I sighed. "There is nothing I can do. Why are you telling me this? Just to warn me? Or do you think that I can do something about it?" I asked him tiredly. Dusknoir looked taken aback.

"I just don't want you to be surprised when you see him. Or afraid. He really is alright, even if he isn't good anymore." He seemed to be trying to convince himself as much as me, but it was touching to know that he cared. He went on. "If he tried to hurt you…" He was struggling with the words. "If he… if… if he hurt you, I… I… I would… I would…" He broke off.

"I'll be ok. The training you gave me really paid off. If he attacks, I'll be able to fight him off." I tried to sound upbeat, although I was shaking inside.

"You can't win against Primal Dialga! Primal Dialga is too strong. Fighting him would be suicide. He is that strong, like all legendary pokémon!" Dusknoir shook his head. "Just be careful what you say to him, alright?"

"I will be." I reassured him. I looked up at the waste above us. "Do we have far to go?" I asked him.

"No, just a few more floors. Come on, we had better get going." Dusknoir replied, and led me up to the opening. We climbed without speaking, the silence broken only by chunks of falling rocks hitting the ground, or falling away. Finally, we reached the top.

Blocking the way was two large doors, huge and imposing. They were wooden, with iron claps fixing the doors in place. The doors were surrounded by walls of stone, and this part of the tower seemed untouched by ruin. Then Dusknoir opened the doors.

Pillars dotted the room, many crushed and lying on their sides. This was a pinnacle. The pinnacle from my dream! And sitting in the middle of the room was Dialga.

**A/N: Dusknoir is such a faker!**

**Dusknoir: No I'm not!**

**Haley: You are too! Stop lying!**

**Dusknoir: Am not!**

**Haley: Are too!**

**Dusknoir: Am not!**

**Grovyle: Will you two quit it! Haley, stop annoying Dusknoir! Dusknoir, just leave Haley alone.**

**Dusknoir: Oh, right, there's an audience. Sorry.**

**Haley: Humph. So anyways, back to the authors note. Dusknoir is such a faker, I know, so don't go banging on me for writing him that way, it just seemed like a better way for Haley to trust him. Yes, I put myself into my fan fiction, sorry. It's fun. Just put your name into Haley, and there you go! So, don't forget to REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW!**

**Dusknoir: I am not a faker!**

**Haley: Yes you are!**

**Dusknoir: No I'm not!**

**Grovyle: sigh Sorry, Haley seems to have forgotten her promise to give you guys some more information on the characters, so I'll do it. **

**Random fact# 2:Some of you may be wondering, where's Haley's father? Haley's father isn't mentioned in the story. He left them in search of a better place to live, with expectations of returning and leading them to somewhere safer, but he never came back. I think it's safe to assume he died, though we're not sure.**


	5. Chapter 5: Primal Dialga

**A/N: I know! Of course I own myself! Duh. No, I meant the character Haley, because I don't act anything like Haley in the story. I am a coward. If it were a real story, it wouldn't be a story, because no one wants to read about the weakling that gave up and just bowed to Dialga's wishes. No one wants to read that story. So yeah.**

**Disclaimer: I own only the character Haley and her mom, nothing else.**

Chapter 5: Primal Dialga

Just like in my dream, Dialga was sitting in the middle of the room, dark and imposing. That made sense now, with what Dusknoir had told me about Dialga being changed by the darkness. Dusknoir spoke.

"Master Dialga, I brought her, just as you asked." I let out a gasp. The voice from my dream, the pokémon that I couldn't identify, it was Dusknoir! Dialga looked at me. I shrunk back from his gaze. I knew from his cold merciless gaze, that Dialga was indeed primal, with no good left in him.

"VERY WELL. LEAVE US." Dialga said to Dusknoir. Dusknoir bent his head to Dialga, and left the room. Dialga turned to me. "DO YOU KNOW WHY I CALLED YOU HERE?" He asked me. I shook my head.

"Dusknoir said to me when we met that you knew about my visions." I told him. Dialga nodded.

"I CAN SEE BEYOND TEMPORAL TOWER WITH EASE. I WATCH EVERYONE, SO I KNEW THAT YOU WERE HAVING VISIONS. I WAS ABLE TO REACH INTO YOUR MIND AND SEE YOUR VISIONS MYSELF. IT DISTURBED ME, WHAT YOU HAD SEEN, AND I HAD RESOLVED TO DESTROY YOU." He said this quite calmly, as though I would not be shaken by his decision to kill me. Then he went on.

"BUT I DECIDED INSTEAD TO GIVE YOU A CHOICE. SERVE ME, AND I WILL NOT HURT YOU. YOUR VISIONS COULD BE USEFUL." Dialga looked at me sharply. I swallowed. I knew that Dialga meant it, that if I didn't accept these terms, he would kill me, instantly, no second chance and with no remorse.

"Ok, but I have a couple questions if you'll answer them." I said. Dialga narrowed his eyes.

"AS LONG AS I AM WILLING AND ABLE TO, I WILL ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS." He replied. I swallowed again, nervous under Dialga's glaring gaze.

"What would I do if I served you? And do you know why I see these visions?" I asked. Dialga looked at me funny.

"YOU DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOUR VISIONS?" he asked. I shook my head.

"I just have them. I don't know how or why I see them." I explained.

"YOUR VISIONS ARE THE RESULT OF A SPECIAL ABILITY YOU HAVE, AN ABILITY CALLED THE DIMENSIONAL SCREAM. ASK Dusknoir, HE KNOWS ABOUT IT. AS FOR WHAT YOU WILL DO FOR ME, THAT DEPENDS ON WHAT I WANT YOU TO DO. NOW, LEAVE MY PRESENCE. Dusknoir WILL EXPLAIN THINGS."

I was horrified. "Dusknoir knew that you were going to do?" Dialga shook his head impatiently.

"OF COURSE HE DIDN'T!" I was confused.

"Then how-?"

"SILENCE! JUST DO AS I SAID, BEFORE I CHANGE MY MIND!" I hurried out of the room. Dusknoir was waiting behind the large doors.

"How did it go?" he questioned. I turned on him angrily.

"You did know what he wanted! You knew that if I didn't work for him, that I was going to be killed, you did nothing about it! You led me straight to him!" I shouted at him. Dusknoir looked startled.

"No, that isn't it! I didn't know what he wanted, honestly, until he told me a few minutes ago!" He said.

"He couldn't have, he was talking to me, and I was with you the whole way through the tower!" I accused him.

"Dialga can talk telepathically. He told me using telepathy. Please believe me, if I had known what he was going to do, I would have told you." Dusknoir exclaimed. I hesitated. Dusknoir went on, "Dialga wants me to bring you around with me on my assignments until you are sure of yourself, then he'll give you your own assignments." I sighed, resigned to the fact that Dialga was in control.

"I guess I don't have any choice." I thought, '_Well, even though I have to do what Dialga says, I'll have Dusknoir to share it with._' I liked Dusknoir, and I admired him. He was strong, brave, and proud in a good way. I smiled, and Dusknoir looked relieved. I felt faintly amused. I liked Dusknoir, and it looked like Dusknoir liked me as well.

Dusknoir raised his head, his gaze becoming calculating, focusing on something that I couldn't see. I had seen the look on him before, and I realized that Dialga was communicating with him. After a few minutes, he shook his head as though clearing it, and turned to me.

"We have to track an outlaw. Are you up to it?" he challenged me. I frowned.

"What did this outlaw do? I didn't think that there were any laws anymore, because of the darkness." I asked. Dusknoir looked incredulous.

"Of course there are laws. There are always laws. Anyway, this outlaw…" He stopped. "Look, I wasn't exactly honest with you. Temporal Tower can be fixed." I stared at him, nonplussed.

"But, you said-"

"I know what I said. I didn't want you to change your mind and not come with me. Most of what I said was true. But Dialga is only interested in self-preservation. That is the only reason he threatens people, because he feels threatened by them. Like with your choice. You could be an incredible asset to Dialga, but you could also be a great threat to him if you found out how to fix Temporal Tower and acted on it." Dusknoir paused, taking in my expression. I was frozen in disbelief.

He went on, "Before Temporal Tower collapsed, there were devices called Time Gears. They helped regulate time. Each Time Gear regulated time for a certain area. If anything happened to the Time Gears, time would go out of whack, or stop altogether. Though Dialga didn't know it at the time, if he had found five Time Gears and put them into place on Temporal Tower, the destruction of time would have been stopped."

"He found this out after the fact, but nothing happened when he found Time Gears and put them into the indentions. He was very upset, and he crushed the tablet they had been on. He realized that to fix the destruction of time, someone would have to go into the past and do it. But if someone went into the past and fixed time, since this future would cease to exist, we would disappear." Dusknoir stopped and regarded me sadly.

"That is why we can't fix Temporal Tower. We would all disappear if we did. Dialga won't let it happen. The outlaw you asked about is trying to fix time. So Dialga destroys those that try to change history." I gasped. That was what my vision had said! It made sense, if Dusknoir was the pokémon I had heard in the vision. Dusknoir frowned.

"What? Did I upset you?" He asked. I shook my head.

"No, I just remembered one of my visions." I told him about my dream, and he frowned again.

"As far as I know, I never said that to Dialga. But I guess it could have been in the future." he said. Then I remembered that Dialga had told me to ask Dusknoir about my visions.

"Dialga told me to ask you about my visions. He said that they were an ability called the Dimensional Scream." Dusknoir looked at me sharply.

"Are you sure he said Dimensional Scream? The Dimensional Scream is very rare." He said doubtfully. I nodded.

"Yes, he definitely said Dimensional Scream. Besides, I wouldn't know the word if he hadn't said it to me, would I?" Dusknoir snorted in amusement.

"You're too smart for your own good. Well, like I said, the Dimensional Scream is a rare ability, and by the way you described your vision makes me think that you have something different, but if Dialga says you have it, then you must. Dialga knows a lot about those things."

Dusknoir went on, "The Dimensional Scream is a rare ability where images from the past and the near future slice through objects and reach into people and pokémon. But you don't seem to need objects to see the images. And the Dimensional Scream needs the presence of a trusted pokémon partner."

I said, "But when I get my visions, I had been touching objects! I hadn't put that together before, but I had been holding objects. Remember, you showed me that rock from Temporal Tower, the one you brought to show me? That night when I dreamt that vision, I fell asleep with the rock in my hand. And I trust you." Dusknoir looked surprised.

"You trust me? Even after meeting Dialga? And after my lies about Temporal Tower?" I looked away.

"Yes, I still trust you. I don't understand it, but I feel like I could trust you with my life." I was uncomfortable. I had tried not to show my feelings towards him, but I had failed. Now I was embarrassed. Luckily, Dusknoir didn't seem to have noticed anything.

"But you were seeing the visions before you met me." He pointed out. I nodded, stumped.

"I don't know… but, maybe, it doesn't _have_ to be a pokémon. I trust my mother." I said.

"I don't know, but maybe." Dusknoir looked confused. "Maybe you do have the Dimensional Scream. I just don't know." He shook his head. "Whatever it is, just be grateful you have it. It is a great blessing, and a gift. Come on, we're wasting time." He led the way down the tower. We walked in silence for a while.

Then I told him, "You know, I just realized this, but all of my visions were about Dialga, or Temporal Tower, even the ones before you found me." Dusknoir stopped.

"Really?" He paused, apparently thinking. He went on, "Actually, that makes sense. Since time is stopped, there is technically no future or past, so the Dimensional Scream would be affected by that. It looks like it only goes off on objects that have to do with time, like Dialga, Temporal Tower, and the Time Gears."

**A/N: so sorry about the fight last time, Dusknoir just gets on my nerves sometimes. Anyways, I hope you liked the chapter. Primal Dialga scares me to write about him. Please review! I want to see what you guys think of Primal Dialga. He was hard to write, because the game didn't have him saying much, so it was hard to discern his personality as Primal Dialga. I'm pretty sure I can get regular Dialga's personality, but… well, like I said, in the game, Primal Dialga doesn't say much, so his personality is open to interpretation, but I think I did ok. He is definitely scary and powerful, that's for sure.**

**Random fact# 3: Ok this random fact is about Dusknoir. He grew up alone and had to make his own way through life. He eventually met Dialga on accident, while Dialga was chasing down an outlaw. (Like he said, he wasn't born before the world was paralyzed, that was like, at least 900 years ago in this story) Dusknoir, then a Duskclops, was absolutely amazed at Dialga. He didn't really notice how dark Dialga was, because he was too much in awe of him. He basically asked Dialga if he could serve him, and by the time Dusknoir realized how dark Dialga had become, it was too late. Dusknoir was always frightened of dying and disappearing, so he just continued under Dialga, and fights with all of his strength to save himself. But can he redeem himself later? We'll see.**


	6. Chapter 6: The Fight

**A/N: So hello again! Dusknoir's story is sad, I feel so bad for him. He just doesn't want to disappear. Awww. Poor Dusknoir.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the character Haley and her mom.**

Chapter 6: The Fight

We continued walking. I was troubled. I didn't like the idea of punishing pokémon who only wanted to fix this darkened world. It seemed wrong. Besides, I didn't like the sound of Dialga 'destroying those who would change history.' If that meant what I thought it meant, then I wanted no part in it. I confessed my worries to Dusknoir.

"I don't feel comfortable with this. I don't think I could actually kill someone in cold blood. Maybe, in the heat of battle, if I accidentally hurt someone too much, but not in cold blood." Dusknoir looked uncomfortable.

"Well, when you put it that way, it sounds bad. But I view it as self-defense."

"How do you figure that?"

"Well, like I told you, if someone were to fix time, we would all disappear because we would come from a future that would disappear. So we are defending our lives when we remove them from the equation."

I snorted. "You try to make it sound like it's not murder. But that is what it is. You can't deny that. Do you even give them a chance to defend themselves?" I eyed Dusknoir with disgust. The pokémon that I had admired, a killer. I couldn't believe it. I felt betrayed. I felt like I was facing a whole new pokémon. Or maybe I was only seeing him the way he truly was for the first time. Dusknoir seemed to notice the change in me.

"You understand, don't you? …I just don't want to disappear. I am willing to do anything to defend my life. Anything." I was horrified. This, indeed, was Dusknoir. The true Dusknoir.

I backed away, shaking my head. Dusknoir looked concerned, but I knew now that it was an act. It had to be an act. I could see that he was faking it. It was excellently concealed, but I knew.

"What is the matter? Did I say something?" Then he stopped and studied me closely. A look of understanding came across his face. "You know." was all he said. I nodded, not opening my mouth, afraid of throwing up. "Then there is no reason to fake it anymore. I am Master Dialga's most trusted henchman. I do his bidding. But, I don't want to disappear. That is why I follow him." I summoned up all of my courage, and told him,

"You idiot! The minute you stop being an asset to him, he'll throw you aside like a doll! He has no loyalty to anyone except himself. He only seeks self-preservation. You admitted it yourself! He wouldn't care less if you got yourself killed for him!" Dusknoir's eyes blazed.

"Nobody speaks to me that way!" he thundered, towering over me. Though I was trembling inside, I met his gaze steadily and said bravely,

"I just did! You are a fool if you honestly think that Dialga has any loyalty to you! Just like I was a fool to think I could trust you!" Dusknoir looked taken aback.

I turned my back on him, and walked back towards home. I threw words behind me, "I'm going home. Have fun being a slave to Dialga!" Scorn edged my words. I heard the sounds of pursuit behind me. I wheeled around. Dusknoir was right behind me.

"You can't just leave. You are sworn to the service of Dialga. If you refuse, I'll have to destroy you." He snarled at me. I glared at him.

"I'd like to see you try!" I snapped at him. He glowered at me.

"I don't want to, but if you make me, I will. Now stop this foolishness and forget that this ever happened! Come with me and serve Dialga beside me. Or else." He added menacingly.

"If you're looking for a fight, you're going to get one! I am not afraid of you." I told him.

"You should be afraid of me. The Sableye got that right, at least. You will address me as Lord Dusknoir as well, or I'll want to know the reason why not!" I shook my head.

"Forget it. There is no way in heaven or hell that I'll call you Lord Dusknoir. Term of respect my left foot! You can take your term of respect and stuff it!" I stalked off.

Suddenly, Dusknoir was in front of me. He lashed out one of his overlarge hands towards me. He was using the move shadow punch on me. He was actually going to attack me! I dodged to one side, narrowly missing being punched by Dusknoir.

"You are actually going to fight me? I didn't think that you would stoop so low. How fair is this fight? You are 3 feet and several hundred pounds above me, not counting the fact that you are ghost-type and can avoid damage!" I yelled at him, dodging once more.

"I never said that a fight against me was going to be fair!" He shouted back. "I was holding out on the journey to Temporal Tower, partly so as not to scare you, partly because I wanted you to learn how to fight! You've never seen me in real action!" That said, he leapt at me, faster than ever. But not for nothing had he taught me to fight. Just as fast as him, I leapt away, and then flashed my hand at him. I landed a hit with my own shadow ball, and Dusknoir reeled, thrown off balance by the super-effective attack. Quick as a flash, I unleashed DragonBreath at him, but he shrugged off the attack.

"I told you, I am stronger than you think! I was holding back." He exclaimed. "Better surrender now, or suffer the consequences!"

"Never!" I flashed back at him. "I won't surrender! Victory or death!" His eyes flashed dangerously.

"Then you have chosen death." He rushed at me again. I crouched low, acting as if I were going to meet his attack head-on, but keeping my weight on the balls of my feet, ready to leap out of the way. As he bore down upon me, I leapt upwards, landing on his head and leaping away. He did the natural thing, and stood up, yelling, "HEY!" I used his upward momentum to make my leap from his back longer and higher. I landed safely, and ran, not standing up to another attack. I knew I was no match for Dusknoir, even when he was holding back. I had to get to safety, but I knew not where to go.

Before long, with the sounds of Dusknoir's pursuit behind me, I noticed the entrance to a dungeon that I had not noticed when we had come into the Hidden Land. I veered toward it. I knew that if I could reach it and maybe have Dusknoir lose sight of me for a while, I could escape, and it would take Dusknoir quite a while to find me again.

I ran faster, dodging behind rocks and the low hills that dotted the land. After a while, I heard the sound of Dusknoir's pursuit slow a little and I knew he had lost sight of me, but I didn't slow my running or look back, knowing that he could catch sight of me at any point. I saw the entrance to the dungeon coming up, and I dived into the entrance, hiding behind some rocks at the entrance, hoping to slip away should Dusknoir go into the cave after me.

I made it just in time. Just as I dove behind the rocks, I heard Dusknoir run up. I was surprised to hear him chuckling. "She actually went in here?" He said to himself. He laughed cruelly and meanly. "She'll never get through _this_ dungeon! Not even I could get past it!" He broke off, laughing.

My blood ran cold. If not even _Dusknoir_ could get past this dungeon, I had no chance. I heard Dusknoir calming down outside.

"I'll just wait until the dungeon kicks her out. With her fainted, it will make getting rid of her easy." I heard him say to himself. I paled, and knew that I _had_ to get through this dungeon. With Dusknoir guarding the only entrance, I had to make it to the exit. With an internal sigh, I turned around and headed into the dungeon.

**A/N: Well, what did I say? Dusknoir is only trying to save himself. He's like that in the game as well. But I always believed the best of him, and while he doesn't redeem himself in this story, I'm thinking of writing a sequel to this, with a slight twist to the 'human turned into pokémon and can't remember anything' story, where Dusknoir will redeem himself! Anyways, as always: REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW!**

**Random fact# 4: Haley's Dimensional Scream is not like the one in the game. Haley's Dimensional Scream goes off for things with Dialga and Temporal Tower, not just Time Gears, and her Dimensional Scream can be activated if she has a trusted partner, but it doesn't have to be a pokémon. Her Dimensional Scream is very powerful.**


	7. Chapter 7: Grovyle

**A/N: So in this chapter we introduce Grovyle! He's awesome. That's the guy that broke up Dusknoir and me when we were fighting earlier. He's pretty amazing. And best thing is… oops! If I tell you it'll ruin the story! clamps hand over mouth**

**continues talking, slightly muffled So anyways, here is chapter 7.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything except the character Haley and her mother.**

Chapter 7: Grovyle

I walked carefully through the first couple of floors of the dungeon, expecting an attack at any moment. After a while, I loosened my wariness a little, thinking that perhaps the stories were just that, stories. I was still guarded, however, knowing that Dusknoir wouldn't make a big deal out of nothing. It was then that I heard snarling up ahead. Deep, angry snarls. I was about to run the other direction when I heard the sound of someone crying for help.

"Please! I didn't know! Someone, HELP!" The voice was young and masculine, and sounded like the speaker was in big trouble. I turned and hurried towards the cry, unable to turn away from the call of someone in need. I entered a large room where a huge aggron was towering over a cowering dratini. At the sound of my footsteps, they both looked over at me. The dratini smiled a cruel little smile.

"Looks like we caught another sucker, 'hey Aggron?" I froze in my tracks. "And a human at that! Well, well, well. You must be that intruder everyone's been going on about." While it was speaking, the dratini was slithering towards me. I was to shocked to move away from it.

"Dratini, maybe we should leave well enough alone. She ain't doing no harm." The Aggron said. The Dratini's eyes flashed dangerously.

'Shut up, Aggron! I am the brains in this relationship! Just be quiet and do as you're told!" The Aggron's expression turned sulky, but he did not say anything else. The Dratini turned away from him and continued advancing on me. "You know what we do to intruders in this place stranger? We kick them out. Painfully, so that they get the point." I knew that I could not afford to have a fight in this close to the entrance to the dungeon, so I thought quickly.

I drew myself up to my fullest height so that I towered above the Dratini. Maybe, just maybe, I could bluff my way out of this. "Who dares address me like this?" I thundered, letting my eyes flash the anger that I felt. The Dratini looked taken aback, and stopped advancing. Then it remembered itself, and said,

"I, Dratini of the Deep Chasm dungeon, address you such. I have no reason to act any other way to you. You are an intruder, and have no business here!" I forced a look of indignity on my face.

"Do you know who I am?," I roared at him. "I serve Primal Dialga! I do not have to have a reason to be here, let alone explain to you what I am doing! I could strike you down for speaking to me in such a way and not have any remorse!" A look of dawning horror spread over the Aggron's face. He spoke quickly to the Dratini.

"If this is one of Dialga's henchmen, we're in big trouble! We had better get out of here, Dratini!" The Dratini blinked, looking shocked, and then his expression cleared.

"I am sorry; I didn't realize who you were. It's just an instinct! We have to protect this place, you know. I'll tell everyone who you are, so you are not attacked." he said hurriedly to me, as the two pokémon rushed out of the room.

I stared after them, surprised at how well that had worked. As I watched them retreat from the room, I had the particular sensation of being watched. I spun around; expecting to see some curious pokémon watching me, but no one was in the room besides myself.

Then I seemed to hear a voice, but it was weird. Not that the voice itself was weird, but I hadn't heard anything, more like a voice going through me, as if from my mind. But I knew my inner voice, and that wasn't it. Then the voice came again. This time, I recognized it. It was Dialga's voice! Dialga must be contacting me through telepathy!

"Haley. BREAKING THE RULES ALREADY, I SEE." Dialga's voice didn't sound remotely angry, more like coldly amused, and there was a note of triumph in his "voice." "YOU'VE GIVEN Dusknoir THE SLIP? SURPRISING. HE IS STRONG, THAT ONE." I broke in angrily, though I was afraid, and shocked that Dialga wasn't angry.

"What do you want from me? You aren't angry about me breaking my word?" Dialga laughed a loud, rumbling laugh that seemed to shake the room I was in, though it may have been me who was shaking.

"YOU'VE GOT SPIRIT, I'LL GIVE YOU THAT. I AM NOT ANGRY. HOW COULD I BE? YOU JUST SEALED THE OATH YOU TOOK WHEN YOU AGREED TO SERVE ME." Dialga sounded incredibly pleased, and my insides did a flip-flop.

"What oath?" My voice shook as I spoke.

"WHEN YOU SAID YOU WOULD SERVE ME, YOU BEGAN A PROCESS THAT YOU COMPLETED BY TELLING THOSE POKÉMON THAT YOU SERVED ME. YOU SAYING THOSE WORDS ALOUD COMPLETED THE OATH. YOU SEE, YOU DIDN'T SAY THAT YOU WOULD SERVE ME UNTIL THEN. YOU SAID THAT YOU DID SERVE ME, WHICH SATISFIED THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE OATH."

Dialga sounded pleased, and I suspected that he really needed my visions, or else was really afraid of what I could do with them to be so pleased at me being in his employ. But I was not one for meekly accepting authority, and I knew that I would never be his, never become like Dusknoir, and ruled by fear. Besides, I had gotten over most of my fear of Primal Dialga. Dialga continued speaking.

"WHENEVER YOU SPEAK MY NAME, MY PRESENCE IS INVOKED, AND I AM BY YOUR SIDE. WHY DO YOU THINK THAT THOSE POKÉMON BACKED DOWN SO QUICKLY WHEN YOU SAID MY NAME? THEY COULD FEEL ME, EVEN IF YOU COULDN'T. NOW THAT YOU HAVE ACCEPTED ME, THERE IS NO ESCAPE."

"I will not go back to Dusknoir, nor will I ever serve you willingly." I snapped at him.

"YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO BACK TO Dusknoir. JUST EXPLORE THIS WORLD FOR A WHILE, AND YOU'LL SEE THAT I OFFER SO MUCH MORE." Dialga's voice faded, and I was alone in the dungeon, his presence gone from the room, and I shivered.

I had to get out of this room, get out of this dungeon. Dialga's words were having a very negative effect on me. "YOU'LL SEE THAT I OFFER SO MUCH MORE." I shivered again. I resolved to myself that I would never, _ever_ even consider going back to Dialga.

I hurried out of the room and up the stairs. I ran through the corridors aimlessly, just wanting out of the dungeon. After a while, I slowed down, becoming tired. Panting heavily, I slumped against the wall, feeling physically and emotionally drained. A hopeless feeling was spreading over me, filling me up. I didn't understand why I was feeling this way. Even a minute ago, I was feeling fine, albeit a little tired, but now I was on the verge of unconsciousness.

As I slid down the wall, closing my eyes, I heard hurried footsteps coming towards me. I had almost given in to the blackness threatening to overwhelm me when a voice broke through the fog in my mind.

"Get away from her!" The voice cried, sounding angry. "Isn't it bad enough that you attack people, now you have to stoop _this_ low?" The voice was becoming clearer, and I could tell that the speaker was male, and was furious. I tried to force my eyes open, but they just wouldn't open.

I heard the sounds of fighting, punctuated by snarls of fury, pain and annoyance, until; finally, the fighting seemed to stop. Then another, unfamiliar voice snarled, "Blast you, Grovyle! This isn't the last you'll see of me! I'll get you for this!" With a last growl of fury, the voice faded away, and I realized that the fog was lifting, although the blackness was threatening to overwhelm me again. This time, I gave into it, with no strength left to fight it.

When I woke again, I was in a cave, lying on a bed of hay, facing a crackling fire. A green pokémon about three feet tall was watching me intently. As I looked around curiously at my surroundings, it smiled, apparently relieved to see me awake.

"Finally! You're awake! I was beginning to think that Dream-Eater had killed you." It said kindly. I blinked confusedly, and looked around more. I couldn't figure out where I was.

"Where am I?" I asked.

"Oh, this is my home. It's not much, but it's safe. And it's close to that dungeon I found you in. Every day I go in there to try to protect travelers. It's not easy, though." The pokémon continued, "You're not the first I've had to save from the Dream-Eater."

"Who are you? And _what_ did you save me from, exactly?" I asked, confused.

"Oh, I forgot! I'm sorry; you must think I am rude. My name is Grovyle." The pokémon explained. "Dream-Eater is a move that puts the target into a sleep that sucks the life and dreams out of the target. There is a gengar that prowls the Deep Chasm dungeon who is particularly good at the Dream-Eater. He attacked you, and very nearly killed you." A scowl spread across Grovyle's face. "I'd like to stop him completely, and teach him a thing or two, but I am just not strong enough to get the point across. I am only able to drive him away long enough to get his victims to safety." Grovyle stopped speaking abruptly.

"I'll help you teach this Gengar a lesson!" I exclaimed eagerly. Grovyle's face clouded with suspicion.

"Are you just saying that to get revenge on him?" He asked warily.

"No!" I said hurriedly. "I want to help you. That Gengar nearly killed me, and if something is not done about him, he might actually kill someone! I'd hate for that to happen." I said to him. Grovyle looked at me closely.

"You know, you have a knack for imitating sincerity. But I'm not that easily fooled." he commented.

"I'm being serious!" I exclaimed. "Please. I am being completely honest with you. If you don't believe me, look into my eyes." Grovyle frowned, then turned to me and stared right into my eyes. I widened them, hoping to convey my sincerity. We stared at each other for what seemed like forever. I could almost see the thoughts going through Grovyle's mind. Finally, he broke our stare and said,

"Alright, I believe you. But why do you care so much? I've yet to meet someone with such a strong will and honest goodness as you." He asked me. I countered his question with my own.

"Why do you care so much? I care because that's who I am. I was born not affected by the darkness. I have never met someone who cares about others and helps people out, besides my mother." Grovyle looked at me thoughtfully.

"Your mother? Who would that be?" He asked. I looked at him warily.

"Why do you want to know?" I narrowed my eyes. Grovyle said hurriedly,

"I don't want to know where she is or anything that I could hurt her with. I just wonder who she is, that both you and her are unaffected by the darkness."

"I wouldn't say unaffected," I replied dryly. "But I know what you mean. My mom is just a normal person. Her name is Gina Roane." Grovyle started visibly. My eyes narrowed even further and I snapped,

"Where do you know that name from? Don't deny that you know it, you nearly jumped out of your skin when I said her name!"

"I know who your mother is. She is on the planetary investigation team! I didn't know she had a daughter!" Grovyle replied.

"My mom is on the planetary who-a-what?" I asked. Grovyle laughed.

"The planetary investigation team. It's a group of pokémon and humans who are investigating the reason behind this dark world, and how we can fix it." Grovyle spoke carefully, as though he was making sure he didn't say more than he was supposed to say, as though he was hiding something. I watched him warily and, forcing myself to be calm, asked:

"What are you hiding?" Grovyle looked startled.

"H- h- hiding s- something?" He stuttered unconvincingly.

"Don't lie to me!" I exclaimed. "I know your hiding something. What are you hiding?" Grovyle looked very uncomfortable.

"I can't tell you." he said firmly. "Not unless I'm sure you know about it."

"About what?" I asked.

"If I tell you, and you don't already know, then I'll put you in danger. Grave danger. I didn't save your life in that dungeon just to tell you something that could get you killed." he said. I thought about that.

'_Is he telling the truth? What does he mean by putting me in grave danger? By who? What is so important that someone would kill to protect the secret?' _Then it dawned on me. I knew someone who killed to protect himself. And I also knew about the thing that he killed outlaws for. '_Of course! The secret of the planet's paralysis and how to reverse it! Dialga kills the "outlaws"- well, has Dusknoir kill them anyway- that try to prevent the planet's paralysis. But is that what Grovyle is talking about? Because he is right, if I tell him, and that's not what he's talking about, then he'll be in big trouble. I think it's safe to tell him. Because remember what he said. He said that the planetary investigation team researched why the world is like this, and how to fix it. Well, if he is on this team, then he should know anything that they have found out. Additionally, he is talking like he knows, so I guess I'll just have to check with him, and curse myself if he isn't talking about the planet's paralysis.'_ I said calmly to Grovyle, "Are you talking about the planet's paralysis?" Relief and sadness passed over Grovyle's face.

"Yes, that's what I was trying to avoid revealing. So you know." He seemed relieved that he didn't have to keep on lying, but sad that I knew. "I was hoping that your mom hadn't told you, because that puts you in a lot of danger."

"I know it's dangerous, but my mom wasn't the one to tell me." I said to him. He looked confused.

"Then who-" I broke him off.

"A pokémon named Dusknoir told me." I said. Grovyle tilted his head.

"Who? How would he know, and why would he tell you?" He asked.

"Dusknoir is Primal Dialga's right-hand pokémon. He-" Grovyle cut me off.

"Wait! Don't say anything. Someone is here. Someone is watching us." I stared at him in horror, suddenly remembering Dialga's words to me. "WHENEVER YOU SAY MY NAME, MY PRESENCE WILL BE INVOLKED, AND I WILL BE BY YOUR SIDE." I shivered.

"We have to get out of here." I whispered. Grovyle nodded, his eyes serious. He grabbed a bag that was sitting in a natural alcove in the cave, and he reached into several other nooks, grabbing food and other necessities, and stuffing them into the bag. I saw my bag at the edge of the cave, and I ran over and grabbed it. With a last look around the cave, Grovyle poured water over the fire, extinguishing it and plunging the cave into darkness. I followed him out of the cave, wondering if he had a place in mind.

**A/N: Please REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW! Please…**

**Random Fact# 5: This one's about the sableye. Not particularly the sableye mentioned here so far, but about the group of sableye that serve Dialga and Dusknoir as a whole. The sableye used to be an entire (for want of a better word) clan. There were a lot of sableye, more than there is in the story and in the game. There used to be hundreds of them, and they lived deep inside a dungeon called Dark Rift. When the planet was paralyzed, Dialga went to Dark Rift and convinced the sableye to fight alongside him… or else. So obviously, many years have passed since then, and with each passing year, the clan's numbers went down, and now there is only a few left, (probably about 20) and their numbers are still dwindling, albeit slower than before. Poor sableye clan.**


	8. Chapter 8: Gengar and Dusknoir?

**Author's note: Hi everyone! Here's another chapter of this fan fiction (finally). HUGE thanks go out to Pokegirl360, possibly my biggest fan, thanks to Bioniclefan234 and 100-percent-Empoleon, they heeded my plea for ideas and thank you to Mammondaughter, I'm going to put some of your idea into the story, but later on, I think. So thank you very much, you three! Thanks also to my other reviewers so far: Sky Blue Storm, Silver rosebud, ThunderRiver411, risen truth ruthless lies, gjeorg, fpejgp, fogoaerg, bjspog, and random reviewers. Thanks for all your reviews! I have played the pokémon mystery dungeon games, Pokegirl360, and I would recommend them to anyone who likes pokémon. They are pretty awesome, and even when the main story is finished, you still have many things you can do! They're like a never-ending story. Pokegirl360, and anyone else who wants to know, Labyrinth is an awesome movie about a girl named Sarah that wishes her baby brother, Toby, away to the Goblin King Jareth (played by the awesome, amazing, handsome, once popular singer, David Bowie!) and she has to solve Jareth's Labyrinth in order to get Toby back. But what nobody knew was that the Goblin King had fallen in love with the girl. She constantly spurns his love, and it is kind of sad. I hate the character Sarah for it. All Jareth wanted was for Sarah to love him back. It is kind of a musical; Jareth (aka David Bowie) sings a lot about his love for Sarah. Then there are two songs that are silly kid songs, 'Magic Dance' and 'Chilly Down'**

**Chapter 8: Gengar and …Dusknoir?**

I walked behind Grovyle, lost in thought. It seemed weird that the first person I ran into after learning the secret of the planet's paralysis also knew the secret. It seemed too coincidental. And I don't believe in coincidences. Something still didn't seem right about Grovyle. I got the feeling that he was still hiding things from me, but I didn't know what. I couldn't tell if his secret was just a personal thing or if it could potentially hurt me.

I hurried to catch up with him, wanting to ask him about it, when I heard a loud roar. I looked up and saw a huge, very angry looking Dragonite. My eyes widened. "Grovyle, look out!" I cried, but too late. The Dragonite dove, its mouth open wide, filled with razor-sharp fangs, and its sharp claws glinting coldly, spread out. I sped up and jumped in front of Grovyle, knocking the Dragonite out of the air, inches from Grovyle's death.

I will give Grovyle this; he jumped into action immediately, which is more than I can say for myself. For a moment I lay on the ground, unhurt but shocked, first by my own bravery, and second, the fierceness of the Dragonite. That pokémon had been aiming to kill, not merely drive us off. I watched for a second, still shell-shocked, as Grovyle leapt into action. I watched as he jumped on top of the Dragonite's head and started clawing it with sharp claws.

The Dragonite threw him off and started prowling towards him, poised to attack at any second. Grovyle rolled with the movement, landing back on his feet and immediately unleashing a torrent of leaves, the _RazorLeaf_ attack. The Dragonite roared in pain as the razor-sharp leaves cut across its skin. It roared again, this time huge blue and purple flames coming from its maw, the _DragonBreath_ attack. It was then that I too leapt to my feet and unleashed a _DragonBreath_ of my own. The Dragonite reeled back in agony, whining. I unleashed another _DragonBreath_, hoping to finish the fight. But the Dragonite just wasn't giving up. It suddenly stood straight, its head raised to the sky. I wondered briefly what it was doing, when I felt myself being dragged backwards. I fought for a minute before Grovyle's voice breathed from behind me.

"It's just me! We need to get out of here!" his voice was full of anxiety and fear. "It's going to use _DracoMeteor_!" I flinched. I knew that move. In one of the many mystery dungeons Dusknoir and I had traversed, there had been a multitude of dragon-type pokémon. One of them, a particularly vicious Gabite, had used the selfsame move on us. Huge meteors had come from the sky and rained down on us. I had gotten knocked out on the spot, and if Dusknoir hadn't been there, I wouldn't have made it out alive.

Grovyle stopped pulling me backwards and spun me around. "Come on! Follow me. We'll have to go through that mystery dungeon to get out of here." He said hurriedly, and ran **(hopped?) **off. I hurried after him.

I could still hear the roar of the enraged Dragonite as we dove into the dungeon. Then I heard an earsplitting 'CRASH! CRASH! CRASH!' as the meteors hit the ground. I watched, eyes wide, as huge meteors the size of Dusknoir (**who is 7' 03 by the way**) flew past the opening of the dungeon. I turned to Grovyle, my shocked expression making him chuckle in amusement. I glared at him before turning to look at the room we had entered in the dungeon.

"Um, do you know what dungeon we're in?" I asked, not recognizing the terrain. There were high steep walls of stone, and here and there were little pools of water. The ground was grassy and level and I couldn't see any pokémon as far as I could see. Grovyle gave me a funny look.

"This is the same dungeon I found you in." I shook my head in wonder.

"Wow, I guess Mystery dungeons really do change. I have never gone into the same dungeon twice before." I replied. I turned to look at him. He was also looking around, examining the exits to the room and keeping an eye out for enemy pokémon. I wondered who this pokémon was. I mean, I knew his name, and that his father was on the Planetary Investigation Team, but not much more than that.

For some reason, I felt a connection to Grovyle. I wanted to know about him, I wanted to know his history; I wanted to know everything about this pokémon. I instinctively felt like I could trust him, but that same instinct had led me to believe Dusknoir's lies, so I wasn't going to rely on that any time soon.

But this wasn't the time to ask him. I was still tired from Gengar's earlier attack, from the Dragonite's attack. Grovyle seemed to be thinking along the same lines, and he suggested, "Why don't we rest for a while, then we can go and deal with Gengar?" I nodded my head. I sat down and leaned against the wall and closed my eyes.

Next thing I knew, Grovyle was shaking me awake. "Haley! Wake up! Gengar is here! Hurry!" I opened my eyes, startled. Gengar was just entering the room and I hurriedly scrambled to my feet. He gave a nasty laugh when he saw the two of us.

"I thought I'd find you here. I was right after all," He said to someone behind him. He came forward and I gasped as none other than Dusknoir floated out from behind him. His eyes narrowed when he saw me.

"So you managed to get through this dungeon after all. Impressive. But I always knew that you were stronger than most." He complimented me. I glared at him and spat,

"I don't want your praise Dusknoir. I want my life back!" Dusknoir's eye flashed.

"Too late!" He snapped back. "You have sworn yourself to Primal Dialga. There's no going back on your word!" Beside me, Grovyle gasped. He turned to me.

"You're one of Dialga's agents? You lied to me!" He shouted.

"Grovyle, no! I would never lie to you! I'm not one of Dialga's agents, no matter what Dusknoir or Dialga thinks! I will never work for him. I agreed only because I didn't realize that I would be expected to kill people!" I added to Dusknoir. He sneered at me.

"Is this your answer then, Haley? You absolutely refuse to obey Dialga? You refuse to obey_ me_?" I glared at him.

"Never!" He scowled.

"Then so be it. You've chosen destruction. Prepare to die." He floated towards me, then said to Grovyle, "You –Grovyle!" Grovyle turned his cold gaze onto Dusknoir.

"What?" He spat. Dusknoir's eye flashed again.

"Careful now. Don't be disrespectful or I'll be forced to destroy you as well. Are you in league with this human? Are you willing to die for her? If not, turn around and walk out now. This is the only chance you will get, so make the right choice." I watched Grovyle, waiting for him to walk out on me. He looked over at me. I braced myself for it, for him to abandon me to my fate, but to my surprise, he didn't.

Instead, he turned to Dusknoir and said, "No." Dusknoir looked at him. I choked.

"No! Grovyle, don't! Leave, please! It's the only way! Do you want to die?" I said worriedly. Whatever Dusknoir was going to do to me, I did NOT want Grovyle involved. He had suffered enough because of me. He had saved my life and I didn't want to be responsible for his death.

Grovyle looked at me. "I won't abandon you."

"Oh really? Are you sure you're prepared to die for this _human_?" Dusknoir asked. I glared at him. I opened my mouth to deliver a stinging retort, but Grovyle beat me to it.

"Yes. Yes I am. She is no ordinary human and you know it Dusknoir!" Dusknoir glared at Grovyle.

"This is the last time I will offer this," He began threateningly. "Leave now or die with the human."

"I have a _name_!" I hissed. Both pokémon ignored me and stared each other down. Their gazes were locked as enemies, and I got the feeling that this may not have been the first time.

'_Do they know each other?_' I wondered incredulously, and I received my answer from Dusknoir.

"It _is_ you, Grovyle! I've been searching for you for quite some time now." Dusknoir exclaimed. His eye was focused on the leaf atop Grovyle's head, and I looked at it for the first time. I noticed a huge scar down the middle of it, ripped in places, and I wondered where Grovyle had gotten such a vicious scar, and wondered why I hadn't noticed it before. Dusknoir smirked at the sight of the scar. Then he said something completely unexpected.

"Well done Haley. You've led him straight into our little trap. You're losing your touch Grovyle. It was too easy to get you here. You're too trusting!" Dusknoir sneered at Grovyle's shocked face.

"What?" He exclaimed. He turned to me, his eyes burning with shocked betrayal. "You _tricked_ me? It was all a lie?" I stared at Dusknoir, completely shocked at his trickery. I knew he was cunning, but I had never imagined him this evil. I opened my mouth to deny it, but Dusknoir gestured at me from behind Grovyle's back, and I found myself unable to talk. I was mouthing the words, but no sound was coming out.

I stopped trying to talk to Grovyle and glared at Dusknoir. He ignored me and went on taunting Grovyle. "Oh it's true all right, but she must have gotten attached to you, look at her shame!" He said, and in that moment, I truly hated him. I wanted to lunge at him and make him stop saying those awful words, but I was too much of a coward to move, too shocked at the betrayal I had seen in Grovyle's eyes.

Dusknoir had stopped taunting Grovyle, for he was not listening. Instead, he had gotten into a fighting position, clearly willing to go down fighting. I admired his bravery, but shook my head at his foolishness. No one could stand up to Dusknoir and win. It was hopeless.

"So you're going to fight, even knowing it's futile?" asked Dusknoir, echoing my thoughts.

"You expected anything less?" Grovyle asked defiantly. Dusknoir shook his head.

"You are truly foolish. Very well, I'll defeat you now, and then take you to Dialga. It doesn't matter to me." I shook my head. Even if Grovyle thought I betrayed him, I was not going to let him go down alone. I hurried forward, blocking Grovyle from Dusknoir. I tried to speak, and thankfully I had my voice back.

"I won't allow you to do that, Dusknoir." I said. Dusknoir glared at me.

"Move aside, foolish human!" He said. I shook my head.

"You never used to call me that, why start now? My name is HALEY! H-A-L-E-Y! HALEY! Say it, HALEY!" I shouted at him. Dusknoir laughed cruelly at me.

"You never used to be such a drama queen. Where did that come from?" He sneered at me. I glared at him. I had had enough of him. I lunged at him, and used _shadow ball_ before he could blink. He staggered back, but shook it off and used _shadow punch_ on me, and I flew back against the cave wall, and slumped down it. I groaned. That had HURT.

"You were a fool to think you could beat me, Haley." I heard Dusknoir's voice above me, and I struggled to open my eyes. As my eyes slowly, torturously opened, I realized that he was floating above me. When my eyes opened, he drew back one of his overlarge hands to deliver another _shadow punch_, but before he could, a green streak smashed into him, throwing him against the wall. Grovyle had used _quick attack_ and now he quickly used _leaf blade_, cutting into Dusknoir's body armor. Dusknoir threw him off, but Grovyle landed lightly on his feet. They started fighting more intensely, too quick for my eyes to see, but I could tell that Grovyle was holding his own. I made myself get up and move out of the range of their fighting.

That's when I noticed that Gengar was still in the room, and he was edging closer and closer to the fight. I knew that he was going to attack Grovyle from behind, and then he would be fighting two enemies. I hurried forward and blocked Gengar from entering the fight. He laughed in my face.

"What are you going to do, puny human spirit?" He hissed in his ghostly voice that sent chills down my spine. "What can you do to me, a ghost?" His red eyes stared straight into mine, and I shivered, but I held my ground.

"You will not touch Grovyle!" I said, and I used a quick _shadow ball_. Gengar was not as powerful as Dusknoir, and he screamed as the super-powerful move hit him square in the chest, forcing him back. I kept using _shadow balls_, keeping on the offensive since I knew I had no hope of blocking his attacks. Every once in a while he was able to use one of his moves on me, but he was so focused on dodging my attacks that they were rather poorly aimed, so I was able to keep out of the way of most of them. However, I was growing tired and I knew I couldn't keep this up for long, so I stopped suddenly, keeping my hands behind my back so he wouldn't see what I was doing. Gengar was definitely the worse for wear for our fight, and he glared at me, but I could tell that he was tired too from all the attacks I had hit him with.

"You will pay for what you have done!" he threatened, and I laughed at him.

"Oh I will, will I? And what exactly, pray tell, have I done?" I mocked him. He glared at me, and then without warning, he leaped at me. "I don't think so!" I yelled, and I quickly lashed out my hands, releasing a giant _shadow ball_ from behind my back. During our little conversation, I had been storing up energy and forming an extra-large _shadow ball_. It hit him straight in the chest, and he howled as he was thrown across the room, and he hit the opposite wall and lay still. I walked over to him, still wary of an attack, but when I got to him, I quickly realized that he was dead.

As I stared down at my enemy's blank face, I didn't notice the sounds around me until I was thrown to the ground by Grovyle being thrown into me by Dusknoir. We rolled, and somehow I got tangled in the mess of leaves that grew on Grovyle's body, and we lay there for a minute, me trying to get untangled while Grovyle cursed and winced.

"Sorry!" I said apologetically. Grovyle just shot me a glare and tried to get back up, only to sink back to the floor with a groan. I realized that he had a large gash on his chest and several cuts marred his body. I leaned over him, trying to see all of his cuts and see which needed the most attention besides the large gash on his chest, but he pushed me back and growled,

"Stay away from me, traitor!" I glared at him. Surely, after everything I had tried to do, killing Gengar and trying to protect him from Dusknoir, he surely couldn't still believe that lie? But the menacing glare he gave me was answer enough. Yes, yes he could, and did, believe the lie. I turned away from him, shaking my head, to look at Dusknoir.

He towered over us, smirking as he watched Grovyle struggle to get up. "Had enough, Grovyle?" He sneered. Grovyle shot him a glare as; once again, he tried to get up and failed. Dusknoir smiled triumphantly. "I'll take that as a yes." He floated forward to grab Grovyle, but I blocked him. I said nothing, just stood over Grovyle protectively. Dusknoir snorted impatiently.

"Get out of the way Haley!" He snarled at me.

"No, I won't!" I snapped back. "He hasn't done anything wrong!"

"That you've seen!" Dusknoir snapped back. "He's going to kill us all!"

"What do you mean?" I asked warily, guessing the answer.

"He is going to fix time! I've told you, if someone fixes time, we will all die! Is that what you want, Haley? Millions of pokémon to die because of this Grovyle?" He snapped, sounding almost desperate. "Move out of the way, now, or I'll do it for you!"

"NO! You'll have to kill me!" I said defiantly. Dusknoir's eye flashed.

"You leave me no choice then." He punched me, and I groaned and fell to my knees. But I still didn't move. He brought back his fist again, but out of nowhere a streak of gray and black barreled into him from the side.

"Mightyena!" Grovyle gasped. I followed the black-and-grey streak as it skidded to a halt in front of Dusknoir. It was indeed a Mightyena, a large one with huge claws. It looked over at Grovyle for a second before returning its gaze onto Dusknoir.

"Still picking on pokémon smaller than you, Dusknoir?" It snarled, its voice revealing that it was male. Dusknoir glared at the Mightyena, incensed.

"You! What are you doing here?" He snapped.

"Not just him, the whole Gold Squad!" A female voice shouted from the cave's entrance. We all looked over and saw a Mawile, a Nidoking, a Nidoqueen, a Houndour, and an Ursaring standing in front of the cave, looking very impressive from my point of view. The Mawile had been the one to speak, and now all of the pokémon advanced threateningly upon Dusknoir.

Dusknoir looked scared. For the first time since I had known him, he looked truly scared. He knew that while he was more powerful than each of these pokémon alone, and he could probably take down a couple, there was no way that he could beat all of these pokémon.

"Fine then, Mightyena! You've won today, but next time I will take you down! Both of you, Mightyena and Grovyle alike!" He snarled before fading away into the wall, presumably to flee. Mightyena looked triumphant, but he didn't say anything. The Nidoking, on the other hand, was gloating at the top of his lungs.

"Did you see that?" He rumbled in his powerful voice. "We had him running at the first sight of us! Ha! He's no match for us alone!" I rolled my eyes.

"You're lucky he didn't have his Sableye with him." I commented, struggling to my feet. "Things could have gotten nasty." All the pokémon turned to me and let out a collective gasp. "What?" I asked. "Have you never seen a human before?"

The Mightyena shook his head. "It isn't that. It's that the only human that we have seen before… you are the striking image of her! But … Dusknoir called you Haley. Are you related to Regina Roane?" I raised my eyebrows.

"That's my mom," I said. "But how do you know her? I thought Grovyle said she was on the Planetary Investigation Team." The Mightyena started laughing, as did all of the Gold Squad.

"What?" I demanded. "What's so funny?" After a while, Mightyena stopped laughing and said,

"We _are_ the Planetary Investigation Team!"

**Author's note: So how did you like the chapter? I hope it was up to scratch! Please, review! Let me know you guys are still reading, sorry for the delay, like I said I had writer's block, and I was waiting for my dad to fix my internet. Anyways, now I need to give a character bio, don't I? Hmmm, should I do Grovyle or Gengar? I think Grovyle; you guys are dying to know more about him, I'm sure. Ok that's settled.**

** Random fact # 6: So Grovyle's story is really sad. Pull out your tissues. When Grovyle was still a Treecko, his dad was being hunted by Dusknoir, and when he caught up with them, Treecko was forced to watch his dad die before his eyes, and when he tried to protect his dad's body, Dusknoir just punched him aside, and he ended up unconscious against a tree. Dusknoir just left him there, and he was found by Ninetales and Vulpix from the PIT. (Ninetales is the PIT's leader, and Vulpix is his mate, she just hasn't evolved yet) They brought him back to the PIT's base and raised him to be a good pokémon. One day he evolved and that's when he vowed to avenge his dad and fix time. Eventually, events led to Dusknoir and Grovyle meeting again, and Dusknoir didn't recognize him at first. Then Grovyle revealed who he was, and what he planned to do, and Dusknoir attacked him. He left the scar you read about in this chapter, and Grovyle barely escaped with his life. Grovyle was living near the cave, hoping he'd catch Dusknoir off guard one day, in reality. He did protect a lot of pokémon from Gengar though, so it wasn't all in vain.**


	9. Chapter 9: Planetary Investigation Team

**Author's Note: So I finally finished Chapter 8! Now on to chapter 9! Yay! Or not… depends on whether this is easy or not. Hmmm. I wonder. Anyway, thanks to all my reviewers! Mammondaughter, your idea started in the last chapter, and is being revealed in this chapter! Yay, it was so good, and I found a way to include it into the story that I had already planned. Btw, I found it funny that you thought of it while dreaming about an alien bursting out your chest. Lol that made me laugh so much. And to all my readers: This chapter gets a little iffy, there are some gruesome parts, and it gets kind of gory when it comes to mine and Grovyle's wounds.  
>Disclaimer: I do not own pokémon, and I don't own the Labyrinth reference either. It just fit in with the story, so I put in some humor relief. The song 'Amazing Grace (My chains are gone)' by Chris Tomlin is not mine either. I wanted to put a song in and this song kept wanting to pop up, it was the first thing I started writing, then I erased it, thinking it was too common, too Christian, but it kept coming on the radio so I took it as a sign and put it in, so deal with it!<strong>

Chapter 9: The Planetary Investigation Team (PIT)

I stared at Mightyena. "…But Mawile said that you guys were the Gold Squad. I don't understand." Mightyena chuckled.

"Yes, we are the Gold Squad. But that is just a division within the PIT. The planetary investigation team; we call it PIT for short." He added, seeing my confused look. "There is also a Silver Squad. They're back at base. Speaking of base, we'd better get Grovyle back there so he can get treated by Blissey." I looked over at Grovyle and realized that he was unconscious. I hurried over to him, and I rolled him over. I winced at the number of cuts and bruises that were already forming on his body.

The gash on his chest was still oozing blood, and I ripped off one of my sleeves, and I tried to stop the bleeding, but it was still bleeding. Suddenly, Grovyle's eyes opened and he shoved me back. I was unstable from crouching next to him, and I fell back.

He struggled to his feet, and this time, he succeeded, and he punched me. I reeled, and backed away. Mawile stood in front of Grovyle as he tried to punch me again, and Mightyena said,

"Grovyle! What are you doing?" Grovyle looked at him and replied angrily,

"She betrayed me! She led me into a trap! She's the reason Dusknoir was able to ambush me!" I shook my head.

"Grovyle, no I didn't!" I protested. He shot me a glare.

"I heard Dusknoir! You were tracking me! It was all a set-up to catch me, wasn't it?" I shook my head, confused.

"I don't know! I didn't know what Dusknoir was planning, I swear!" I said, but I remembered Dusknoir saying the same thing about Dialga's plan to kill me, and I wondered. I knew that I hadn't known, but I should have guessed he'd try something like this. The PIT members were glaring at me too, and suddenly, I felt someone trap my arms behind my back, and I looked over my shoulder to see Ursaring glowering at me. I tried to pull my arms away, but he wouldn't let go.

"Let me go!" I spat, but he merely shook his head and looked at Mightyena.

The said pokémon was glaring at me, and said, "You're not going anywhere! You're going straight to our base to be interrogated. What other plans does Dusknoir have? We won't allow you to trick us."

"You really think I would try to hurt someone who saved my life?" I demanded. Grovyle shot me a scathing look.

"We've been betrayed before by pokémon that we've saved." I shook my head.

"I'm not a pokémon, in case you haven't noticed already!" I said.

"That makes it worse. Every pokémon knows that most humans are no-good, evil people!" Mightyena retorted.

"What about my mom?" I shot back. A flicker of sadness appeared in Mightyena's eyes, but it was gone as fast as it had come.

"She was a special case!" He replied. I glared at him and Grovyle.

"You are blind to ignore what's right in front of you! I tried to protect you from Dusknoir, Grovyle! AND, I killed Gengar when he tried to attack you from behind!" I said desperately.

"It could have all been a ruse!" Grovyle said stubbornly. I shook my head in despair. They just wouldn't believe me. But I would not allow myself to be taken. Not by Dusknoir, not by anybody. I hung limp in Usaring's arms, and when he loosened his grip a little, I pulled back quickly, and ran across the cave. Houndour blocked the cave's entrance, and I used the same tactic as I had with Dusknoir, and I crouched low, as if I was going to barrel into him, and when he got down to block me, I jumped over him completely and I fell to the ground.

I rolled with the motion, and twisted to my feet. I ran, not looking back. I heard the sounds of pursuit behind me. I knew that most of them could out run me any day, so I ran into the forest to my right. I risked a glance back, and I saw that they were gaining on me, so I sped up. That proved my undoing, for I didn't notice the rock beneath me, and I slipped and hit a tree. The last thing I remembered before I slipped into the darkness gathering at the edge of my mind was Mightyena coming to a halt before me and shaking his head at my foolishness. Then I gave into the blackness.

When I awoke again, I was inside a small room made of stone. It was empty, and there was no window. I looked over at the door. It was like a jail door, made out of simple iron bars, too narrow between the bars for me to squeeze through. I sat up, wincing as pain shot through my head, and I raised my hand to my head, and I realized that I had hit my head so hard that I had bled out. I ran my fingers through my hair, grimacing at the dried blood that came off in my head.

I heard arguing in the hall outside the door. I paused and listened carefully. "Why should we care about _her_? She almost got Grovyle killed, or worse, captured!" I rolled my eyes. Someone needed to get their priorities straight. But I listened again as another voice spoke up.

"It doesn't matter! She is suffering; she may even still be bleeding! Are we going to stoop to Dusknoir's level, and let her die inside her cell? Besides, if she dies, we won't be able to get any answers from her; she could shed light on some of Dusknoir's plans!" I could tell that this voice was female; the other voice had been male. It sounded as if they were talking about me. I backed away into the farthest corner of my cell as footsteps echoed along the hallway, heading toward me.

The male voice gave a grunt of displeasure. "Fine Espeon, let Blissey heal her. I don't care. But when she betrays all of us, don't come crying to me!" The two pokémon I had been listening to came into view. In the lead was a female Espeon, and right behind her was the owner of the unfriendly male voice, a Charizard that was covered in battle scars. He glared at me. I glared right back, but shrunk back a little when the Espeon opened the doors.

The Charizard let out an impatient snort, but the Espeon shot a glare at him before coming into the cell. I eyed her in distrust. I had no idea what they were going to do to me, but I just wanted to go home.

"Come on girl, we're not going to hurt you." She said in a voice that I supposed she thought was a soothing voice, but just made me shiver. The Charizard let out a disbelieving snort at that, and I shrunk back even further against the wall, and the Espeon glared at him.

"Will you stop that, Charizard? You are scaring her!" She staked over to him and butted him with her head. "Go guard the entrance, I don't need you here!" Charizard protested.

"What if she attacks you?" Espeon rolled her eyes.

"I really don't think she is going to attack me, and if she does, I can take care of myself, thank you very much. Now go!" The jewel on her head glowed for a brief moment, and Charizard was lifted off his feet and placed several feet down the hall, facing the entrance. He snorted and walked down the hall again.

Espeon turned to me again, and I watched her warily. She beckoned with one paw. I shook my head. "I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to bring you to Blissey to get cleaned up. You've got a nasty cut on your head, and I'm sure you're still banged up from your fight with Dusknoir and Gengar."

"You know about that?" I asked. Espeon laughed.

"I think everybody knows about it."

"Oh." I replied lamely.

"Now, come on, we haven't got all day. Ninetales wants to question you as soon as possible, but we can't have you fainting on us." Espeon said briskly, and beckoned again. I walked over to her. She turned away, and walked down the hall. I followed her, looking around while I did so. The hall was lined with cells, but most was empty. Several held sableye, and one held a shiny Riolu that was black and silver instead of blue and black.

It glared at Espeon as she passed, and when it saw me, it smiled evilly. I shuddered as it used telepathy to talk to me. 'Are you in league with Dusknoir too, human?' he asked me.

'No, they're mistaken. I hate Dusknoir! He tried to kill me, more than once!' I thought scathingly. The Riolu snarled and leapt at the bars, but they glowed blue and threw him back against the wall. My eyes widened.

Espeon laughed at my astonished gaze. "It's alright, it doesn't hurt him; it just throws him back. We had to add that because he kept breaking out." I shook my head in wonder, and followed Espeon out of the dungeon to a large room filled with soft beds and healing items. A Blissey was tending to Grovyle's wounds as he winced. At our entrance, Grovyle looked up, and when he saw me, his face darkened, and he made to get up, but Blissey snapped in a surprisingly hard voice for a Blissey,

"Stay still, Grovyle! If you move, I might get the stitches wrong!" A Chansey hurried out of a small office over to us.

"Ah yes, you must be the human that needs healing." She said absently as she gestured for me to sit on one of the beds. I rolled my eyes inwardly. How many other wounded humans did they have here? I sat down, and the Chansey started examining my head. She pulled back my hair to look at the cut. She tutted.

"Why did you try to run? Surely you knew it was futile?" She muttered, more to herself than me. I scowled, but didn't reply. Chansey handed me a damp rag and told me to clean up the blood so she could stitch the cut without infecting it with dirty blood. I took the rag and cleaned the area around the cut.

After she had stitched the cut on my head, she examined the rest of my cuts and bruises. I wasn't really hurt that much besides my head, just a few cuts on my arms, and once they were bandaged, Espeon beckoned me from the room again. I followed her to a room that was bare, and she told me to wait there. She summoned an Exploud to guard the door, and I sat down and waited.

After what felt like an eternity, a male Ninetales and a female Vulpix entered the room. They shut the door after them, and I watched them warily. The Ninetales glowered at me.

"Why did you betray Grovyle?" He snarled. My eyes flashed angrily.

"I didn't! And I told him that! It's not my fault he believed Dusknoir. I would think that you guys would know what a liar he is. What would he gain by revealing me if I was working for him? Besides, I tried to _protect_ Grovyle!" I snapped. The Vulpix looked shocked at this.

"Really?" She asked. I nodded, but Ninetales broke in.

"Why should we believe you?"

"Why shouldn't you?" I retorted. "You would trust the word of a known enemy and liar over someone you've never met before? Moreover, I happen to be the daughter of one of your members! Why do you trust _him_ over me?" The two pokémon exchanged glances. Maybe, just maybe, I was getting through to them. But Ninetales' next words brought my small hope to a stuttering halt.

"That's not the only thing. Grovyle also sensed Dialga's presence when you spoke his name. Why is that?"

"Don't say his name!" I snapped.

"Why not?" Vulpix asked. I paused. "Why not?" She repeated more forcefully.

"Because… Because… Because it will draw his spirit here!" I said finally. Ninetales' eyes narrowed.

"How do you know that?" He asked.

"He told me himself." I replied, looking away.

"I thought so. You work for him, don't you? Tell the truth!" Ninetales shouted. I flinched.

"I- I –I don't work for him! At least, not anymore. Well, to be truthful I don't think I ever really was." I said. Ninetales growled. I watched him in apprehension as he started pacing around the room. I really didn't want to have to hurt him, but he looked ready to attack me. Vulpix shot Ninetales a sharp look before turning to me again.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"W–well I had just started working for him when I ran away. I hadn't even followed any orders or anything." I said, and then proceeded to tell her everything that had happened, from the minute Dusknoir had first knocked on my door, but I left out my visions. "So, you see, I had no choice! He would have killed me. I didn't want to die, and I had no idea about the PIT or Grovyle until I met you guys." I finished, hoping with all my might that they would believe me.

"That's what Dusknoir said, 'He would have killed me.' Do you think we're that stupid? No –enough!" Ninetales exclaimed when I tried to interrupt. "Dusknoir said the same thing, so we trusted him, and where did that get us? Betrayed, stabbed in the back, and 10 pokémon DIED! No, I will not allow that to happen again! You're going back to the dungeon until we decide what to do with you." He said, and stuck his head out the door. "Exploud, escort our prisoner back to her cell, now!"

I shook my head sadly and followed Exploud back to the dungeons. Once he had left, and I was sure that no one was watching me, I went into the farthest corner of my room and cried. How was I going to get back home? All I had wanted was to go home, back to my mom and my safe life with her. Now I was wanted by Primal Dialga, Dusknoir was hunting me, and I was locked up for association with the very pokémon who wanted to kill me.

'_It's not fair!_' I thought to myself. Then I smiled wearily. "You say that so often. I wonder what your basis for comparison is." I said softly to myself, and laughed. That was a line from a movie I had once watched, and I had always loved that line. But it was true. At least I wasn't dead. My position could be a lot worse. They tended to my wounds, and they weren't going to kill me, at the very least. I shuddered at the thought of what Dusknoir would do with prisoners.

I was surprised at how easy it was to hate him; just a couple days ago I had thought he was the best person I had ever met. Now I hated him. I looked up at the sound of my cell door opening, but it was just a male Eevee pushing a bowl of food inside the cell. Frowning, I got up to see what slop they had given me, but I was pleasantly surprised to find two Big Apples, some Razz berries, and some Bluk berries.

I ate hungrily, not having eaten since I don't remember when; sometime while I was with Dusknoir before he brought me to Temporal Tower. I savored the sweetness of the berries, and I was glad that they had thought of my larger mass in giving me the Big Apples. I had noticed that I was taller than most of the pokémon, though most of them had larger bodies and muscles. I lay down on the hard stone floor, my back to the cell door, and I had soon fallen asleep.

Several days had passed. I was used to the routine now, but I was getting really bored. I spent most of the time singing to myself. I was so far down the hall that no one could really hear me, and that suited me fine. I mostly just sang the old worship songs that my mom had taught me. She had explained that before the darkness, a lot of humans in the area had been in a religion called Christianity. She explained that after the darkness, most gave up their religion, but our family had never given up hope.

I wasn't sure about it, but I liked the songs, so I sang them, even if I didn't believe in the message. "Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wrench like me. I once was lost, but now I'm found. Was blind, but now I see. 'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear. And grace, my fears relieved. How precious did that grace appear, the hour I first believed. My chains are gone, I've been set free! My God, my savior has ransomed me. And like a flood, his mercy reins; unending love, amazing grace. The Lord has promised good to me. His word my hope secured. He will my shield and portion be, as long as life endures. My chains are gone, I've been set free. My God my savior has ransomed me. And like a flood, his mercy reins; unending love, amazing grace. My chains are gone, I've been set free. My God my savior has ransomed me. And like a flood, his mercy reins; unending love, amazing grace. The earth shall soon dissolve like snow. The sun, forbade to shine. But God who called me here below; will be forever mine, will be forever mine. You are, forever mine." I sang softly to myself.

Even though I wasn't sure about anything, this song had always given me hope and inner peace. But even with my singing, I still was worried and wondered what my mom was doing. Then I heard a loud crash above my head. I flinched, wondering what was going on. There was the sound of major explosions, and then the whole ceiling caved in. I jumped backwards, but was unable to escape the rubble, and found myself trapped under a huge slab of stone. I moaned in pain, trying to get the slab off of me, to no avail.

I looked over the slab that was pinning me down to see some Voltorb looking very dizzy; apparently they had used the move _explosion_ to cave in the stone. Then I saw Dusknoir and two dozen Sableye appear from the wreckage.

"Faction 1, 2, and 3 head up the hallway and attack while they're still in shock from the explosion; faction 4 stay with me and we'll unlock our allies and join the fight, move it! Take hostages where possible, knock them unconscious if they struggle! Do NOT kill! Now move!" Dusknoir barked. Three groups of Sableye moved off down the hallway immediately, and Dusknoir looked around, unfortunately spotting me trapped under the stone. He smiled cruelly and floated over to me.

"Well, well, well. You're looking the worse for wear Haley. Imagine, of all the cells we could have broken into, we broke into yours. Interesting coincidence, don't you think?" He mocked. I glared at him.

"We both know very well that I don't believe in coincidences, Dusknoir. Just kill me, capture me, whatever you came to do and stop playing around!" I hissed at him. I wouldn't have been so abrupt, but the stone pinning me down was not getting any lighter. In fact, if I hadn't known better, I would say that it was getting heavier. Dusknoir raised his eyebrow. (**Does Dusknoir have an eyebrow? Oh well, you know what I mean**)

"Oh, not in a playing mood then? But you know how much I like to play with my enemies. Oh wait, you don't know that yet. You believed my deception far longer than I thought you would." He laughed while I glared at him.

"Just get on with it Dusknoir! Get to the point already!" I snapped, straining under the weight of the stone. Dusknoir scowled at me.

"Fine; I'll get to the point, as you put it. You're _my_ prisoner now, and you'll see just how much I love playing with my enemies. Sableye! Get this stone off of her!" He barked, turning to the Sableye that watched our little spat. They all rushed forward and managed to get the stone off of me. I scrambled to my feet, wincing as I did so. The stone falling on me had opened a few of my earlier cuts, and I was bleeding. But that didn't stop me from quickly using _earthquake_, sending even more stone crashing down, and several Sableye got caught under the stones. Then there was a huge rockslide as the rest of the ceiling crumbled in, and Dusknoir was blocked from view as the rocks separated the room into halves.

Not believing my luck, I hurried out into the hall and into the main portion of the PIT's base, where a heated battle was taking place. Sableye were everywhere, attacking surprised PIT members. However, most of them were fighting back, and I could tell that they had it under control for now. But I only saw 2 thirds of the Sableye that had originally left the cell. I looked around, wondering where the other Sableye had gone, and wondering what I could do to help. I could use _earthquake_ again, but it hurt everyone in the room except me, not including allies, so I would probably end up more hindering than helping.

Suddenly I heard a scream rise above the noise of the battle. It was a scream of anguish, and I immediately sprinted towards the sound. I hurried up the halls that were filled with battling pokémon, knocking many Sableye out of the way; finally reaching a room in which Grovyle was battling 5 Sableye and Vulpix was crouched over a slumped figure on the ground. Ninetales!

"Oh God, I hope I wasn't too late!" I exclaimed to myself. I hurried into the room and leapt on one of the Sableye that was attacking Grovyle. I quickly unleashed an _ice beam_ at him, and followed it up with a _dragon breath_. The Sableye fell over, but got back up, and, snarling, it leapt at me, using _fury swipes_. However, I had learned a lot since that fight with the Porygon long ago, and I quickly side-stepped it, and unleashed a _shadow ball_. Unfortunately, the Sableye being a dark-ghost type, the ghost move did little to harm it. The Sableye swiftly used _punishment_, and I could feel myself weakening. It was time to end this. I jumped on top of it, and just started punching the crap out of it until it slumped to the floor, unconscious. (**Who said I couldn't have a regular attack? I just punch and kick. :D**)

I kicked another Sableye away from Grovyle, and unleashed an _ice beam_, then followed it up with some quick punches right between the two gems that were its eyes; a place I knew was a weakness for Sableye. Its legs wobbled and it fell over, and I quickly kicked it a few more times to make sure it was unconscious before doing the same to another Sableye. By that time, Grovyle had beaten up the other Sableye, and he turned to me, grateful but still suspicious.

"If you turn on me, you're going to regret it." Was all he said, and I rolled my eyes.

"Really Grovyle, if I wanted you dead or unconscious, I would have just let the Sableye do it. But that doesn't matter right now. What matters right now is helping Ninetales!" I said, and hurried over to Vulpix, who was moaning, tears streaming down her snout while she tried to help her mate, but Ninetales was steadily deteriorating at a fast rate. I placed my hand over where his heart was, and I could feel it speeding up.

"What happened?" I asked.

"One of the Sableye hit him with a ghost-type move that I've never seen before. And now look at him; he's dying!" I looked around hopelessly, wondering what to do. I had some training from my mom in healing, but I had never healed a pokémon before. But there was no time, I had to try.

"Where is my stuff that I had with me? My bag and everything; what happened to it?" I asked hurriedly. Vulpix pointed one of her paws at a large chest in front of a desk. I ran over to it, opened it up, and started scrambling through the stuff in it. "Yes, this is what I was looking for!" I exclaimed, holding up a small box from inside my bag triumphantly. "This may hurt him a little, but it's unavoidable. Healing often hurts more than the original wound." I said to Vulpix. She nodded, and stepped back so I could work.

I opened the little box. It had a lot of seemingly random items in it; string, wax, needles, band-aides, various assortments of crushed berries, and a little monitor. I took out the monitor and quickly scanned Ninetales with it. The monitor beeped, and I looked down at the screen. _Ninetales has been affected with a Shadow Hold condition, a highly dangerous ghost-type paralysis. If someone is under the Shadow Hold condition for too long, they can slowly start to be torn between the dark world and our world, the living world._ "Oh no," I murmured. "How do you cure this condition?" I typed into the monitor.

_To cure Ninetales' Shadow Hold condition, a ghost must go into the dark world, find Ninetales' lost soul, and bring him back to his body before 48 hours are up. Once the 48 hours are up, Ninetales will die and be lost in the dark world forever._ The monitor told me. "Oh God, we have a job to do." I said even more hopelessly. Grovyle looked at me.

"What? What's wrong with him? Can we cure it?" I turned to him, my face serious.

"Yes we can cure him, but we need a ghost that we can trust to go into the dark world and return Ninetales' spirit within 48 hours. How can we possibly do that?" I asked helplessly.

"Well, well, well. Look at this little reunion. Why wasn't I invited?" A voice asked from the doorway. I turned to see Dusknoir float into the room. Grovyle snarled at the sight of him. Dusknoir laughed coldly. "Are you going to attack me, Grovyle? You are _really_ scary, you know." He mocked. Grovyle growled, but turned to me. An understanding passed between us. I put my box and the monitor down, and got up.

At the same time, both Grovyle and I leapt at Dusknoir. I unleashed a volley of _shadow balls_, while Grovyle used _leaf blade_. Dusknoir retaliated by punching both us back. I dodged out of the way, but Grovyle didn't have the same luck, and he went flying. But he landed on his feet and he immediately used _dig_. He disappeared under the ground, and I quickly threw a couple more _shadow balls_. While he was distracted trying to deflect my _shadow balls_, Grovyle jumped out of the ground and attacked him from behind.

It looked like we were winning when Dusknoir suddenly called out to his Sableye, and they rushed into the room, abandoning their own battles and pounced at us, using _fury swipes_. But they hadn't crushed the opposition, and the other PIT members soon joined the fight, and soon we were all fighting at very close range, hemmed in by the walls.

Somehow we ended in the entrance hall, and Sableye were fleeing left and right, covered in wounds and screeching at the top of their lungs. Soon all that remained were two determined Sableye and Dusknoir. But I punched one of the Sableye between its eyes, and it fled, whimpering in pain. The other Sableye looked around him, and seeing all the enemies, let out a shriek and fled as well. Dusknoir watched it flee with narrowed eyes. I stepped forward, right in front of Dusknoir.

"Flee along with your servants, Dusknoir. This is a fight you cannot win." I said threateningly. Dusknoir scanned the rows of pokémon glaring at him, and turned his eye on me.

"Fine, I will leave this time. But watch your back, Haley. One day I will catch up, and then you'll see just how cruel I can be." He spat before turning around and stalking away (or at least as much as he could while floating.) There was a loud cheer. I felt a tap on my shoulder, and I turned to see Grovyle looking sheepish.

"I –I wanted to tell you I'm sorry for not believing you earlier. It's kind of obvious now; I should have known better. I'm sorry." He said awkwardly. I shook my head.

"It's fine; I'm not mad or anything." I said. Grovyle smiled for a minute before it faded away.

"What about Ninetales?" He asked. I looked at my feet.

"I don't know what to do. Is there any ghost pokémon in the PIT?" I asked. Grovyle shook his head.

"No, but we could ask Espeon. She is a psychic. Maybe she could help." He replied. I brightened.

"Yes, let's ask her!" I said, and I scanned the crowd of triumphant pokémon, and I noticed her recognizable purple fur. "Espeon! Can you come over here please?" She looked over towards me and Grovyle, and she nodded and bounded towards us.

"Yes, what can I do for you?" She asked, eyeing Grovyle meaningfully. He blushed, and I raised my eyebrows.

"What am I missing?" I asked. Espeon smirked and said to me,

"I told everyone here that you were innocent, and none of them listened to me. Grovyle is very aware of that now. Aren't you?" She added to him. He flushed deeper, and replied sharply,

"Ok, so I made a mistake! Stop rubbing it in." He turned away with a huff, and I giggled to myself.

"Espeon, can you travel to the dark world?" I asked her, becoming serious as I remembered why we had called her over. She frowned.

"Why are you asking?" She asked.

"We need to go there to retrieve Ninetales' soul; he is in the grip of a Shadow Hold condition." I replied. Espeon gasped.

"Will we be able to cure him?" She asked frantically. I sighed impatiently.

"Maybe; _can_ you go into the dark world?" I asked again.

"I can, but I won't." She said.

"Why not?" I asked.

"It's too dangerous." She replied. I shook my head in despair.

"We need to go into the dark world to retrieve his spirit!" I exclaimed. Grovyle looked thoughtful.

"Espeon, can you send others into the dark world?" he asked.

"Yeah, why?" Grovyle looked triumphant.

"Then I'll go!" He said.

"I will too." I added. Espeon looked between the two of us.

"What didn't you understand about _it's dangerous_?" she asked.

"That doesn't matter. If we don't go, Ninetales will die." I replied, and Grovyle nodded. Espeon shook her head. But she agreed to send us into the dark world.

"However, I'm putting a time limit on it. No matter what happens, you'll come back in 40 hours, so be quick. It's way too dangerous to leave you two in there longer. You could get lost yourselves." She said sternly.

I nodded. "We only have about 46 hours before it's too late anyway." We hurried to the room in which Ninetales' body was lying prone. I grabbed the box and monitor and put it in my bag, which I slung over my shoulder. Grovyle hurried into the room a few minutes later with his own, smaller bag on his back.

"Ready, you two?" Espeon asked. We looked at each other, and then nodded to her. "Ok, I'm sending you into the dark world. Don't move, whatever happens." The gem on her head glow brilliantly, and we were surrounded by a dark portal, and then the room was gone; everything was black.

**Author's Note: Well, I certainly had an easier time with this chapter than the last one! Yay! It was finished quicker, and it turned out **_**way**_** different than I had originally planned it! Thanks again to Mammondaughter, it was her idea to have them lock me up and then have me save the day! :D So … Thanks! The Shadow Hold condition is my invention. Actually, there is a pokémon condition called Shadow Hold, but I don't remember what it does, and this worked out, because this way is cooler! :D I wasn't planning on having that actually, this chapter kind of wrote itself; I was just the person writing it down, lol. That happens a lot. Dusknoir and Grovyle tell me what they want to do, not the other way around.  
>Dusknoir: That's right! And don't you forget it, Haley!<br>Grovyle: Shut up, Dusknoir, she is busy!  
>Haley: Yeah, what Grovyle said.<br>Dusknoir: Grrrrr…  
>Haley: Sorry about that. Anyways, back to the author's note!<br>Umm … what to say now … Hmmm. I guess I'm done. But first, I am going to give you a random character fact!  
>Random Fact # 7: This one is about Ninetales and Vulpix. They met when they were both Vulpix; they were both being chased by Sableye. Dusknoir showed up, and they were able to fend him off long enough to escape. They came up with the idea of having a whole group of pokémon willing to fight for time's restoration. Yes, they created the PIT. And, in case it wasn't clear, Ninetales is the leader. Ninetales evolved, but Vulpix stayed the same, mostly because she wanted others to be able to tell them apart.<strong>

**Ok wow, this chapter had 5,960 words! And it was 20 pages long! Wow, my personal best, whoo-hoo!**


	10. Chapter 10: The Dark World

**Author's Note: I'm so, so, so, so, so sorry it took so long to update last time! Do you wanna hear the whole story? I bet you probably don't, but I'm feeling really frustrated about it and I need to vent. So at the start of this summer, I had chapters 1-7 done, and I updated them gradually over the month of August while I was at my grandparent's house. But during the summer, I was experiencing writer's block, so I couldn't update past chapter 7. Then I went home and my parents have this thing about letting me use their computers for the internet unless it's homework. They are afraid I'll ruin their computers or put a virus on it… x rolls eyes x So they got me a USB port that gave me internet on **_**my**_** computer, but one day it wasn't receiving the signal properly, so my dad thought it was broken, even though I knew it wasn't, so there was no way for me to get on the internet and update even if I had finished chapter 8. I had gotten a nook over the summer, which has internet on it but I can't update my stories on it. Don't get me wrong, I love this website, but it is frustrating that I can't just write my chapter while I'm on the website; I have to download it onto DocX, so I couldn't update even when a certain author who goes by the name of Mammondaughter inspired me to finish chapter 8 and write chapter 9! Sorry about my ranting, I'm finished now. So unless you really care, you can just skip this part…**

**Author's note 2: So I finished chapter 9, and now on to chapter 10! Wow, I can't believe how quickly I finished chapter 9 after finishing chapter 8! Must be a record for me … Anyways, thanks for all my reviews! It makes me smile and feel all fuzzy inside. Plus it makes me write faster. *hint hint* Oh! I almost forgot the disclaimer… it seems pretty stupid that we actually have to put a disclaimer, because of course it's not mine, this is a FANFICTION website, but whatever. All standard disclaimers apply. I do not own pokémon.**

Chapter 10: The Dark World

Everything was black for a minute, and then my surroundings cleared and I saw that I was standing on the top of a hill overlooking a black sea. I heard a gasp beside me, and I turned to look at Grovyle, who was looking the other way. I spun around to look at whatever had made him gasp, and I too gasped. Whatever I had thought of the dark world that we lived in, it was nothing compared to the wreckage that lay before me.

There were ruins dotting the plain below the hill that we were standing upon. Many of the ruins were still smoking, even though I could tell that whatever had happened here had happened long ago, judging by the weeds that grew over everything. But the darkness had affected the plants as well. The weeds that grew were evil-looking, with sharp spines and dark, nasty colors. I saw that the few trees that still grew were twisted and completely black, as if they were in a suspended state of rotting, and the smoke coming from the ruins laid a foul fog over everything.

I shook my head in disbelief. As much as I hated the perpetual darkness of our world, this world was worse, way worse. But what I had told Espeon was true: we had no choice in the matter. If we didn't try, Ninetales would die, and be stuck here for all eternity. At that thought, my shocked paralysis broke, and I spoke to Grovyle.

"Staring at this won't help Ninetales. If anything, this sight should make us all the more determined to find his spirit and return it to his body, so he doesn't have to stay here. Come on, Grovyle!" I said when he still didn't move. He shook his head and looked over at me.

"Sorry. I –I can't believe this. And to imagine that I thought the world we lived in was dark." He said, echoing my own thoughts.

"Well, the difference is that we can cure our world's darkness. There's nothing we can do here but find Ninetales and return with him." I replied briskly, and started down the hill. "We'd better get going. We only have … 39 hours and 56 minutes before we have to leave," I said, checking the monitor, which I had set to count down until we had to leave. Grovyle nodded and hurried after me, neither of us looking back.

"I wonder if we came in at the same place that Ninetales did. If not, then we are just wandering blind. Who knows how big this world is. We could be here for days and not find him." Grovyle said, but I shook my head.

"Espeon said that since we would enter the dark world at the same place as Ninetales that we would come out at the same place. I can't imagine that he would go towards those ruins, and Espeon also said that the dark world is not very big. If we hurry and stay on track, we should catch up to him. Well, maybe. He does have a two-hour head start on us. We'll have to hurry." I replied, and sped up. Grovyle, obviously thinking along the same lines as me, ran forward and leapt into a tree, scanning the area.

I halted beside the tree, and after a few minutes, he hopped down and said, "It looks like a straight path from here for quite a ways; as long as Ninetales didn't leave the path we should run into him at some point." I nodded, and we kept going.

After going for a while in silence, I became uncomfortable. I wanted to talk, keep our minds off the horrible things in this world, but I couldn't think of anything to talk about. Eventually I asked about his family. "Grovyle, what happened to your family? Have you always been alone?" He remained silent so long that I thought I had offended him, and I was about to apologize when he started talking.

"I never knew my mother; she left before I hatched, but my father raised me; until he was caught by Dusknoir that is." He said bitterly. I gasped.

"Grovyle, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything, forget it." I said, but Grovyle shook his head.

"No, it's ok. It was a long time ago, when I was still a Treecko. Luckily, Ninetales and Vulpix found me and brought me to base. When I evolved, I vowed to one, avenge my father's death, and two, solve the planet's paralysis, since I knew that my father had always wanted to do so. In my mind, I think I'm making it up to him for being so useless in the fight against Dusknoir. I was still little then, and I tried to hide behind my dad. But then Dusknoir cut him down, and I ran in front of him, trying to protect him. Dusknoir just laughed at me and punched me away. I hit a tree and fell unconscious, but not before I saw my dad give his last breath." He said. I felt terrible for asking him to relive all that, and I told him so.

"There's no need. I'm over it. I just can't wait to avenge my father. One day I will avenge him, and Dusknoir will regret that he ever met me. But enough about me, what about you? How did you meet Dusknoir?" He asked. I guess I opened myself up for that one. My face fell, and I turned my head away, staring into the distance. I didn't want to admit how easily he had deceived me, and I didn't want to admit how much I had trusted him; how much I had liked him. But Grovyle had told me what I wanted to know, reliving horrible memories, and I felt that I owed it to him to tell the truth.

So I told him everything, from the moment Dusknoir had knocked on the door to Dialga's words to me inside the Deep Chasm dungeon. "And then I ran up several floors, where I ran into Gengar. You pretty much know the rest." I finished. I had even told him about my visions, which Dialga had referred to as 'the Dimensional Scream.' Grovyle was silent for a while.

"I feel like such a fool; Dusknoir tricked me so easily. It just doesn't make sense to me; usually I am very cautious about who I trust. But Dusknoir just broke through that barrier like it was nothing. Come to think of it, so did you. What do pokémon have that humans don't; that makes you so believable?" I asked. Grovyle smiled for a minute before answering.

"I think it has something to do with the fact that we always show our true emotions, even Dusknoir. I'm sure he really felt all that he showed to you. But the darkness in our world … it has affected our very souls; you know this. I doubt even Dusknoir himself knows his true feelings for anything. The darkness overrides anything that we feel; everything we see, hear, feel; it goes through the darkness first. So we are affected more than humans, because humans have always hidden emotion. You humans rely more on intellectual knowledge than instinctual feelings. Pokémon are the exact opposite. You can't ask a pokémon to be anything different than what they are." Grovyle replied.

"I see. I guess humans' perspective of pokémon is warped then. So what you're saying is … I can't ask a legendary pokémon such as Cresselia, who heals and gives light, to destroy and make things dark." I said. Grovyle nodded.

"Exactly. You can't ask Rayquaza to live on the ground, just as you can't ask Groudon to live in the sky. It goes against their very natures." We fell silent. We had gone quite a ways, and I checked the monitor.

"We have 35 hours and 26 minutes left." I announced, and Grovyle nodded.

"I'm worried about Ninetales. Even if we do get his spirit back in time, he'll never be the same. I mean, look at this terrible place. I doubt any of us will be the same after experiencing this." Grovyle said after a while. I looked at him sympathetically.

"I know, but what choice have we got? If there is still a chance we can save him, I'm not giving up." I replied. "Look, Grovyle! There's a cave." I pointed at the jagged opening ahead.

We paused a minute before going in, checking the inside of the cave. I saw nothing suspicious, and I walked cautiously inside. When nothing attacked me, I looked back at Grovyle.

"I think we're ok. Come on!" I called, and he walked in after me. I was still looking back at him when I hit something soft. Freezing in place, I looked in front of me, but it was just a big spider web. "Eww." I said, and tried to pull back, but I was stuck. "Grovyle, watch out!" I shouted, and I heard Grovyle come to a stop. "There's a big spider web here, and I'm stuck to it!" I said frantically. I struggled to free myself, but the more I pulled, the more tangled I got. "Ugh! Grovyle, can you use _leaf blade_ or something and get me free?" I asked disgustedly.

"Sure. Just hold still." I heard him say, but before he could do anything, a huge Ariados came out of nowhere and jumped on top of me. I screamed, trying to get out from under the huge spider pokémon, but I was stuck to the web and it was way too big in any case.

"Intruders in my place! All intruders must die!" It hissed, clicking its pinchers. It worked quickly, wrapping me up in a cocoon of silk. I struggled, but the silk was strong and sticky. I heard Grovyle shout at the Ariados.

"Get away from her!" The Ariados hissed angrily; the weight on me fell off, and there were the sounds of fighting. I heard the Ariados screeching in pain, and then there was silence. "Haley? Are you alright?" I heard Grovyle asking.

"Yes, just get me out of here!" I snapped, angrier with myself than Grovyle. I heard the sound of ripping silk, and then Grovyle appeared before my face, slashing at my bonds with a razor sharp blade made of leaves. After a minute, I was standing in the cave, wiping the rest of the silk off me. I was grumbling to myself.

"Why is it that every time I enter a cave when you're with me I get attacked viciously and am unable to help?" I said. Grovyle was watching me amusedly.

"You aren't very careful." He said simply and I growled at him. He just laughed and turned to the rest of the spider web, tearing it up into little scraps of silk. I looked beyond him to the corpse of the Ariados. It was lying on its side, legs curled against its body, looking pathetic.

"Humph. Come on, before something else happens." I said, and Grovyle nodded. We hurried through the cave, and came out on another hillside. Off in the distance, I could see a flash of orange. "Look Grovyle!" I shouted, and pointed. Sure enough, it was Ninetales, walking along unhurriedly.

"Ninetales!" Grovyle called loudly. The far-off figure stopped, and turned to look at us. After a shocked pause, it started bounding toward us. "Come on!" Grovyle said excitedly, and raced toward Ninetales. I bit my lip, wondering what my reception would be. The last time I saw Ninetales, he had been snarling at me, angry beyond belief. I followed behind Grovyle slowly; uneasily.

When Ninetales got close enough to see me, he stopped with an unreadable expression on his face. I followed after Grovyle, even though every part of me was screaming for me to back away from the fox pokémon. Grovyle stopped in front of Ninetales, and I paused a few feet away, giving them some space.

"Why is she here?" Ninetales asked; his expression and his voice emotionless. He seemed to be reserving his emotions until he got the whole story. Grovyle glanced between me and Ninetales, realizing the tension between us.

"Ninetales, it's alright. I –I was tricked by Dusknoir." He forced the words out, and I could tell how much this cost him to say.

"What do you mean?" Ninetales snapped. Grovyle looked straight into Ninetales' eyes, and replied seriously,

"Haley is on our side. When Dusknoir attacked our base, again, she defended the base and drove away many of the Sableye single-handedly. We stood together, and Dusknoir had to leave. She was responsible for our presence here. She was the one who figured out what was wrong with you. Now, because of her, we can take you home, and she is also the reason you have a home to go to. She didn't betray me; it was all a trick that Dusknoir made up." Ninetales looked between us.

"But… What about the presence of…" He trailed off, but both of us knew what he was talking about.

"Like I tried to tell you before, I was forced into a decision that I didn't want. That presence… was always there anyway! Don't you know that he sees everything anyway? When you mention his name, his attention is caught, and he looks your way! It's just that his presence is so much more prominent when I'm around because of an oath I didn't even know that I took!" I said angrily.

Ninetales stared at me. He seemed to be contemplating our words. "Fine. I'll assume that you aren't a traitor until proven otherwise, but I'll be watching you closely." I bowed my head.

"I guess that's all I can ask." I said. Grovyle looked relieved that the discussion was over.

"Well, we found Ninetales. How do we get back?" He asked me. I brought out my little monitor and punched a couple buttons, and in the next second, everything had gone white. I closed my eyes, and when I opened them again, Grovyle, Ninetales, and I were standing in Ninetales office. Espeon beamed from the doorway.

"You did it!" She exclaimed, and did a backflip. The gem on her forehead glowed, and a telepathic message went through the PIT headquarters. "_They're back! Ninetales is safe! Everything is OK!_" There was a rumble as all the members of the PIT came rushing to Ninetales' office. They let out a huge roar of glee when they saw us. I grinned at Grovyle, and he smiled back at me, no tension between us.

**Author's Note: How did you like it? This chapter was one of my shorter ones. Sorry about that, the end of this took forever to get out. I wanted to give Haley and Grovyle a break this chapter. Everything is so hard on them, and the rest of the story isn't easy on them either! But I knew that if I made it too easy, it wouldn't be realistic. So of course Ninetales had to be that way, and I've always had dreams about being trapped in a spider's web, so that's where the Ariados came from. So… on with the random fact!**

**Random Fact # 8: This random fact is about Dusknoir again. It's something of a secret that I don't think he'll appreciate me telling you, so don't tell him! He is actually scared of the Dark World. Technically speaking, he is supposed to be comfortable in the Dark World, since he is a ghost-type pokémon. And his species of pokémon are actually supposed to drag people's spirits into the Dark World! So it's kind of a pride thing for him. He is ashamed of it, but he can't help it, so there was actually no chance of Dusknoir going after Haley or Grovyle, in case you were wondering. And Sableye can't go into the Dark World, just send spirits there.**


	11. Chapter 11: Home?

**Author's Note: You have mysticdragon01 to thank for this update; they inspired me to keep writing after I got bored! YAY thank you mysticdragon01, your comments are nice and constructive! If you want a course on how to write a constructive review, read this author's review! Anyways… onto the chapter! All standard disclaimers apply. I don't own pokémon.**

**Chapter 11: Home? Do I even have one anymore?**

After everything had calmed down, Ninetales stood before everyone, ready to speak. Everyone fell silent. "Pokémon of the Planetary Investigation Team! Today we won a great victory! Today we drove Dusknoir and his accursed Sableye away yet again; and we suffered no losses!" Ninetales announced. The pokémon burst into applause, with a few whoops and cheers mixed in. Ninetales continued.

"All this was made possible by your selfless support, your selfless choice to protect our organization!" The members of the PIT cheered again. "We have assured the continuation of our goal: to fix time!" There was more applause and cheering. Ninetales glanced at me before saying his next words. "But we surely would not have won; and I would not be here before you, if it hadn't been for one person." Everything went silent. I felt myself turning red as every head turned in my direction. "We owe today's victory to… Haley. Our own member's daughter, one I… I should have trusted from the beginning." For a second, there was silence, then Grovyle started cheering, and Espeon joined in, and soon enough all of the PIT was cheering for me. I turned red in embarrassment.

"I –I… Thank you everyone. I promise… I will never betray you! And I'll promise you this, too," I added, staring at Ninetales. "Dusknoir will pay for what he has done to us, what he has done to each and every one of us." With those words, absolute pandemonium broke out. There was cheering and applauding and whooping as the Planetary Investigation Team members went absolutely crazy. I stared in amazement at some of the stunts that some of the members were pulling. A Charizard was swooping around the ceiling, his tail fire bigger than I had thought it was possible for a Charizard's flame to go. It was three times his size, and flickered orange, red, blue, and, at the very center, a glowing white. Other pokémon were simply jumping around, doing amazing flips and a few of the younger members were play-fighting with each other.

I stared at Grovyle. "Umm… Why are they so happy?" Grovyle smirked at the look on my face.

"Because, for one thing, they defeated Dusknoir and got Ninetales back. And for another, you just promised that you would get revenge on Dusknoir, and they all believe you." I started smiling.

"Well, what's going to happen now?" I asked Grovyle. He glanced at me for a minute before looking up at Ninetales.

"That's a question to ask Ninetales. He hasn't heard the whole story yet; well, none of us have heard the whole story. Perhaps a meeting is in order…" he trailed off, thinking. Then, without warning, he leaped through the crowd of pokémon and up to Ninetales' side. He whispered in Ninetales' ear, and Ninetales nodded.

"Quiet, please!" He called, getting everyone's attention. Everything fell silent at once. "As Grovyle has just pointed out to me; we need a meeting! PIT Council; meet me in the council room! Everyone else; go back to your duties! I wouldn't put it past Dusknoir or his evil master to spring another surprise attack on us while we're still celebrating and recuperating from our last battle! Now go!" he said, and everyone nodded, serious but still very happy.

Grovyle leaped to my side in an instant, pointing me to a small hallway I hadn't even noticed before. "Let's go, Haley." I shook my head.

"But… Ninetales said the Council! I- I'm not part of any council!" Grovyle rolled his eyes at me.

"That may be so, but everyone who is anyone needs to hear your story, including me!"

"But I told you, in the Dark World!" I protested. Grovyle's eyes gleamed playfully, mockingly as he replied.

"Maybe I forgot. You'll have to refresh my memory!" I snorted.

"Not amused, Grovyle. Not amused." I pointed to my scowling face. "This is my not amused face!" Grovyle took one look at me and burst out laughing, all the while pulling me down the hallway after the other pokémon. I rolled my eyes again and gave up trying to resist Grovyle's antics.

"I'm going to kill you for this Grovyle…" I muttered under my breath. Grovyle just ignored my grumblings; his eyes alight with laughter as he pulled me through the giant oak doors that had to lead to the Council room.

I blinked as a great light flashed before my eyes. It was Ninetales, using Flamethrower to light the torches on the walls of the room. I looked around at the now lighted room. It was simple; there was nothing on the walls, and there was just a long table in the center of the room, with various chairs strewn around it. Either the pokémon didn't care about cleaning up, or the last session had ended rather abruptly; because there were many various pieces of paper and scrolls and even a few books strewn here and there on the table. The chairs also looked as though they had been shoved aside in haste. Perhaps they had been in the middle of a meeting when Dusknoir had attacked.

Then I noticed a large bulletin board behind the head of the table that had many pictures and notes written all over it. On the upper left-hand side of the bulletin board was a picture of Primal Dialga; and underneath the picture was writing that I assumed was notes on Primal Dialga. Right next to Dialga's picture was Dusknoir's picture, and his picture also had writing underneath it. I couldn't read it, since it was written in footprint writing; pokémon's writing. I think that pokémon called human writing Unknown language or something of the sort; Dusknoir had mentioned it once, very briefly. On the upper right-hand corner was some more footprint writing, though as I said before, I couldn't read it.

Right below the scribbled writing in the right corner was a picture of something I'd never seen before. It was gear-shaped **(Circular with teeth)** and was iridescent blue, with sort of prongs in the middle of it. The prongs reminded me of the markings on Dialga; only these were a darkish blue, while the gear shape around it was a lighter sky blue. '_I wonder what that thing is._' I thought to myself, enthralled by the picture. It seemed to draw me in, seemed to want me to touch it…

"Hey, Haley!" Grovyle called to me, snapping me out of whatever "spell" I'd been under. "Oh, you're looking at the picture of the Time Gear." He said, coming up to stand by my side. I still couldn't seem to look away. Then his words processed, and I turned to look at him.

"Wait, did you say that this was a _Time Gear_?" I asked him incredulously.

"Yeah, why?" He asked me, looking confused as to why I would be so shocked. I blinked for a few seconds, trying to calm myself down before turning to look at the bulletin board again.

"Well, it's just… I've never seen a Time Gear before, that's all." I replied, taking another look at the bulletin board. This time, my eyes were drawn to a huge map spread across most of the board. It was obviously a map of the entire region, for though I couldn't read it; I could recognize many of the landmarks and dungeons that Dusknoir and I had traveled through. To my surprise, the map even had the Hidden Land labeled, as well as a tiny drawing of Temporal Tower, the Rainbow Stoneship, and the Old Ruins. The entire Hidden Land was covered with tiny red pins, and I could see several of the red pins on other portions of the map. There were a couple blue pins scattered on the map, as well as quite a few green pins. Then, there was one small gold pin off to one side, and by the topography of the map, seemed to lie on a plateau.

Below the map was more footprint writing, assumedly notes about the map. On the lower right-hand side of the board, next to the (assumed) notes about the map were two pictures with more writing underneath them. I peered closer and realized that they were drawings of Temporal Tower; one was before it had collapsed and the other was of how it looked now. Below the two pictures was more writing that I couldn't read. That was really getting on my nerves now; I was used to being able to read. I would have to get Grovyle or someone to teach me how to read and write in footprint writing.

Grovyle led me over to a chair near the end of the table, and sat in the one next to it. I looked around at all the pokémon filing in around us and sitting down. At the head of the table sat Ninetales and Vulpix, waiting for everyone to settle down. Mightyena sat across from Grovyle, both closest to the head of the table. I saw the Nidoking and Nidoqueen that had been part of the Gold Squad sit down next to Mightyena. They weren't saying anything, but were staring into each other's eyes as though they were having a conversation.

My attention was torn away from them as I heard movement beside me. I turned to see an Eevee sit down in the chair next to mine, who was talking to the Charizard on his other side. They sat down next to each other, and continued talking.

"Charizard, you nearly burned the fur off of Petalpaw! You need to be more careful where you let out your fire!" the Eevee was saying to Charizard. Charizard merely snorted, his tail fire rearing up in defense.

"Relax, Umbreon! I'll be more careful, I promise!" the Eevee didn't look convinced.

"You say that _every_ time, but you never change…" the Eevee grumbled, but left it alone. I frowned, confused.

"Hey, Grovyle," I asked, whispering in his ear. "Why is Charizard calling that Eevee Umbreon?" Grovyle laughed.

"Oh, that's because the Eevee that you see is going to evolve into an Umbreon as soon as possible. You see, he has to use his dawn stone right at the stroke of midnight on a day where there would have been a new moon; so you see, it's very difficult for him to evolve into an Umbreon. It's kind of a touchy subject with him, but we have the old calendars to look off of, and he's figuring out the math. Hopefully he'll be able to evolve soon, he's been driving all of us crazy, whining about it for the last… well he's always been whining about it from the day he joined, from what I've heard." Grovyle replied.

"Oh, I see…" I murmured, and then went back to watching the other council members. I saw Espeon across the table, sitting next to the Nidoqueen, and she gave me a wave with her paw, which I returned. To the left of Espeon was an Exploud, who was arguing _very loudly_ with the Fearow on his other side.

"No, no, no, NO! That's NOT how you TAKE DOWN a rampaging Gyarados!" it was saying. The Fearow rolled its eyes and squawked in an almost equally loud voice,

"Oh, YEAH? Then how ABOUT you ENLIGHTEN us?"

"ALRIGHT, I will! First, Gyarados are water and FLYING type, so you need ELECTRICITY!" replied the Exploud, sounding pleased with himself. The Fearow merely shook its head.

"You rattata-brain, we HAD no ELECTRIC type!" It squawked back angrily. Then a new voice raised itself above the din.

"Will both of you just SHUT UP?" It was a Glameow, coming to sit next to Charizard on my side of the table. "Jeeze, you guys never stop going at it!" I could tell from the tenor of its voice that the Glameow was a female. She glared at the Fearow and Exploud while another voice jumped in.

"No, they never do stop, and I don't think they ever will, Glameow, so you had better get used to it. I think the world will come to an end before _those_ two stop fighting. It's like listening to a fight between Kyogre and Groudon go at each other." It was a Houndour, the same one that had been on the Gold Squad, just like Nidoking and Nidoqueen.

Throughout this commotion, both Blissey and Chansey slipped into the room and quietly took their seats on opposite sides of the table, at the very end. They both seemed resigned to the arguing going on around them. Maybe this sort of thing happened all the time.

"The world _has_ come to an end; that's exactly what I mean! The world _has_ ended and _still_ those two are going at it!" Glameow was saying. Both Exploud and Fearow started shouting at the top of their lungs, and I covered my ears as Exploud let out a few _Hyper Voices_, but no one could hear anything above the other. Suddenly there was a loud,

"HEY! BOTH OF YOU, QUIT IT!" everyone stopped talking immediately as Ursaring came in, his eyes blazing. He stood at the very end of the table, right in front of his seat and lectured Exploud, Fearow, Glameow, and Houndour. "If you guys can't at least keep it OUTSIDE the council room, I will personally escort you out. _Forcibly_ if need be!" He exclaimed, and they all nodded, looking sheepish. He then sat down, and proceeded to look up the table at Ninetales.

"_Thank you_ Ursaring." Ninetales said dryly, glaring at Exploud and Fearow. "We don't have time for your arguments today, Exploud, Fearow. We have much more pressing matters on our hands." I heard the big oak doors open and shut, and everyone turned their heads to the noise. It was Mawile, hurrying to the front of the room to a chair next to the bulletin board. She had a notebook in one hand and a stylus in another.

"Sorry I'm late everyone, but _someone_ misplaced my notebook." She glared around at the council members, and no one seemed to want to meet her eyes, and averted their gaze. "Hmph," she grumbled to herself, but merely sat down and looked expectantly at Ninetales. Ninetales ignored the interruption and went on.

"Now, we all know about Haley," He began, gesturing a paw in my direction. Everyone's eyes flashed in my direction before snapping back to Ninetales. "But, none of us has heard her story in its entirety, and I think we'd all like to know her story." He looked at me significantly. I closed my eyes, preparing myself. '_If I get through this, I'm going to kill you, Grovyle,_' I thought scathingly. I opened my eyes and saw Grovyle smirking at me, as though he knew exactly what I was thinking. I grimaced at him, and looked around before starting.

"Ok, I'll tell my story… But I have a few conditions." I said, and Ninetales looked unsurprised.

"Go on." He replied, and so I did.

"First, please don't interrupt me. I'll answer any questions when I'm finished. And second, I promise to tell the truth, so I expect truth in return." I said, and waited until everyone signaled their agreement before beginning my story.

"Ok… I don't know how long it was before I was born that my mom left, but I was born on March 20; 10,056, 100 years after the Tower collapsed. For the first 10 years of my life, my mom and I kept on the move, traveling from safe place to safe place. When I was 11, we found a permanent home on the outskirts of a little creek, just past the Tiny Hills Dungeon. For the next three and a half years, my mom raised me and taught me how to defend myself in a tight spot, how to heal, how to survive…" I trailed off. How clearly I remembered those years, the years we weren't in danger; the years where I had a good life, if a bit boring. I shook myself mentally.

"Then, about two weeks before she was going to teach me how to defend myself against pokémon, when I had just turned 14, Dusknoir showed up at my house. My mom didn't recognize him –but that doesn't make sense, now that I look back. Wouldn't she have recognized him from the start?" I questioned Ninetales. He shook his head.

"Not necessarily. Most pokémon of the same species look alike. Unless their shiny or have any distinguishing marks or scars; such as Grovyle, there's really no way to tell between pokémon of the same species." He said, and Grovyle burst in.

"Yeah, that's why I didn't recognize Dusknoir's name at first. Until you mentioned that he was a servant of-" I broke him off.

"Hey! Remember what I said about that name! It's dangerous." Grovyle looked sheepish.

"Right. Sorry about that." He said; then gestured for me to go on.

"Ok, so my mom didn't recognize him and I definitely didn't recognize him. He basically demanded that I go with him to meet his "employer," and mom asked him who his employer was but he wouldn't tell. He said that he would be taking me whether we agreed to it or not, and I just told mom to let me go, because I didn't want any trouble."

"So you just –went with him? Just like that?" Umbreon the eevee asked, sounding incredulous. I rolled my eyes.

"I thought I asked that no one interrupt me?" I said dryly, and Umbreon lowered his eyes.

"Right; sorry." I shook my head and went on.

"So I went with Dusknoir and he told me who his employer was. I was surprised, obviously, and he went on to tell me about how Temporal Tower collapsed and how that made time stop. Originally he told me that there was no way to fix Temporal Tower, and I believed him." I continued. I then proceeded to tell them about everything, about the reason why Dialga had wanted me to come to him, about the Hidden Land and Temporal Tower and what Dialga had said to me at the top of Temporal Tower.

I told them of the fight between me and Dusknoir, and how I had escaped into the Deep Chasm dungeon. I told them about the Dratini and Aggron, and how I had bluffed my way out of a fight with the two pokémon. I told them how Dialga had contacted me through telepathy and what he had said. I told them how Grovyle had saved me from Gengar and about our fight with the angry Dragonite that had driven us into the dungeon. I told them how Gengar and Dusknoir had shown up and how I had killed Gengar in defense of Grovyle.

"And I guess you guys know the rest." I finished tiredly. No one said anything for a minute. Then Espeon spoke up.

"What is this Dimensional Scream thing? Has anybody ever heard of it before?" she asked the room at large.

"I've heard of it… But, well, it _is_ pretty rare." said Ninetales. "And as far as I know, no one has had it since Temporal Tower collapsed, because of the Dimensional Scream's tie to time."

"How can it help us? Or hinder us?" asked the Nidoking seriously. I swallowed.

"Well as long as Haley remains on our side there's no chance that it'll hinder us, but help us… Well we need to do some research on the Dimensional Scream. Until we get some more concrete knowledge on it, I think it's best just to leave the matter alone." Ninetales replied thoughtfully.

"Well, what do we do now then?" I asked. Grovyle looked at me for a minute before answering.

"I think we need to warn Regina that Dusknoir is on the move. What happens if he shows up at your house and takes her away?" He asked seriously. My eyes widened. I hadn't thought of that. Ninetales broke in.

"I believe that you're right, Grovyle. Haley, you should return home and warn your mother. But I don't think you should go alone…"

"I'll go with her!" Grovyle said immediately, which made me happy.

"Home…" I murmured, enthralled by the idea. Then I looked up, eyes sad. "Do I even have a home anymore?"

**Author's note: Well, there you are! Now, since you've taken the time to read it, why don't you leave a review? It would be nice! Thanks again to dragonmystic01, without whom I think it would have taken me forever to work up the will to finish the chapter! The next chapter is Chapter 12: My mom, the… Warrior? Where Haley's mom will be more properly introduced and we'll see more of her character… for a while, anyways! X Giggles sweetly X. Another cliffhanger! Why do I keep doing that? Oh right, 'cause it's fun to keep you guys on your toes! Hee hee.**

**Random Fact #9: This one is about Gengar. I completely forgot to tell you guys about him… oops! Shrugs shoulders hopelessly. There should be a medical condition where people forget stuff. NOT Alzheimer's, that's different. Oh I got off track… I think I'm ADHD or something. STOP GETTING OFF TRACK HALEY! JEEZE! Ok, onto Gengar. Gengar woke up one morning with his memory gone (no he was not a human before) and he was going crazy until he realized that he could use the move Dream Eater. He was still kind of crazy, so he use Dream Eater to try to see if he could return his memory by doing so. This idea came from 100_Percent_Empoleon, so thank this author for this little fact! I am totally ADHD, because I just get off track so easily… lalalala, oh look! A butterfly! Ok now I'm just being weird. Oh, mysticdragon01, the dark world was kind of necessary after I talked about Ninetales' shadow hold condition and explained what it was and all that, so even after I initially lost interest in the dark world, I still had to struggle along and finish it, but that part's over now! YAY! Now on to the fun part!**


	12. Chapter 12: My Mom the Warrior?

**Author's note: Umm… I forgot that last chapter I was going to have a little history lesson on the Pokémon world (my version, of course) for the random fact, so I'll do it at the end of this chapter! I just thought it would be cool after my little story. BTW, this story is FAR from over. This story is going to cover pretty much ALL of the story right up to the beginning of the PMD2 game when (SPOILERS!) Grovyle and the main character come to the world of the past through the Passage of Time the first time. I'm going to cover the finding of every Time Gear, plus all this other stuff, SO this story is going to go on for a while. And like I said earlier, I'm thinking of a sequel to **_**this**_** story, which will be easier to write, hopefully. But just because it'll be easier doesn't necessarily mean that it'll take less time to write. I get writer's block too often, it's time-consuming, and I **_**do**_** have school and other responsibilities; now I'm just making up a bunch of excuses… Cause that's what I do… Anyways! Oh, I just want to say: Grovyle is about Haley's age in this fanfiction, so if he seems a little childish, that's why.**

Chapter 12: My mom… the Warrior?

_"Home…" I murmured, enthralled by the idea. Then I looked up, eyes sad. "Do I even have a home anymore?"_

Grovyle looked at me sympathetically. "Of course you have a home! You just wait and see." I could tell that he was trying to cheer me up, but I remembered my desire. I just wanted to live peacefully, but that just wasn't possible in this world.

Besides, Grovyle was right. Dusknoir would stop at nothing to prevent us from restoring time. I was sure that my mom could take care of herself, but we needed to warn her all the same. I looked at Grovyle, determination in my eyes.

"I'm ready. But… how will I find my home again? I don't even know for sure the trail from the Hidden Land, even if it were safe to go there." I said. Grovyle smirked and drug me over to the bulletin board I had noticed when I had come in. He pointed to the huge map that dominated most of the board. I scowled at him. "I can't read it!" I said, and Grovyle blinked.

"Really? You don't know how to read?" He asked. I rolled my eyes.

"I do too know how to read! But I don't know how to read pokémon writing!" Grovyle looked confused. Vulpix laughed.

"Grovyle, sweetie, she's a human! She doesn't know how to read footprint writing! She knows how to read unknown script!" Vulpix said, and Grovyle suddenly looked sheepish.

"Oh, right… I should have known that…" he said. "Well, I'll have to teach you!" he said to me, and I raised my eyebrows.

"Do you know both footprint writing _and_ unknown script?" I asked him, and he looked stumped for a minute. Ninetales looked over.

"Your mom knows both written languages; ask her to teach you, Haley." He said. I turned to look at him.

"Really? My mom knows how to read pokémon language?" I asked incredulously, and he nodded. Grovyle broke in.

"Anyways, I _can_ read footprint writing! Just tell me a landmark, and we'll be able to find your home, Haley." He said. I looked at him.

"Well, like I said before, my home is just past the Tiny Hills dungeon. Is that dungeon on there?" I asked. Grovyle looked at the map, scanning it for the dungeon.

"Yes!" he announced. "On the far right side, near the Spacial Cliffs and Northern Desert! I know how to get there from here. We'll have to pass through two dungeons; Labyrinth Cave and Amp Plains, but Labyrinth Cave is really short. Amp Plains can be dangerous, but we should be ok if we hurry through it. If we left today, we'd get there in three days, tops."

"Well, let's go, then!" I said. Grovyle nodded, but Vulpix said,

"Hey, wait! You can't just rush off now!" Grovyle and I turned to her.

"Why?" we asked simultaneously.

"You guys need to get supplies and stuff; dungeons are dangerous!" Grovyle rolled his eyes, and I followed suit.

"We'll be fine, Vulpix!" Grovyle said. "We got through the Dark World without supplies!"

"And that was incredibly foolish of you!" she said. I interrupted.

"It's ok; I've got supplies in my bag! I've got plenty of Oran Berries, a couple of Reviver Seeds, and some Stun and Sleep Seeds. We'll be fine." Vulpix sighed.

"Alright then…"

"Awesome!" I exclaimed, and grabbed Grovyle's arm. "Let's go!" We ran off towards the door.

Vulpix watched Haley and Grovyle go off, racing for the door. She shook her head. '_They're just kids._' She thought to herself. '_Are we doing the right thing; involving kids in stuff like this? They could get hurt really easily. And that Dusknoir! He doesn't care that they're kids. He'll kill them anyway… Oh Arceus, I hope you know what you're doing…_'

I stumbled on the gritty stone floor. "Ugh!" I exclaimed as I hit the floor, causing a dust cloud to rise up. I coughed heavily. Grovyle and I were inside the Labyrinth Cave dungeon. It was dark and very grimy. The walls were made of stone, and had mold and dirt scraped across them.

To our very great dismay, Grovyle and I had found upon reaching Labyrinth Cave that a family of Muk and Grimer had moved in the dungeon, making it very dirty and gross. But we had no choice but to traverse the dungeon. Now we were making our way through the dirt and grime, trying to avoid swamps of mud.

Grovyle had it worse than me, though. As a Grass-type pokémon, he was at a weakness when we came across Grimer and Muk, and the mold was really starting to get at him. He was coughing worse than me, and hacking out lumps of purple mold every once in a while. After we got through this dungeon, I would have to make him a poultice to rid him of the poison. Unfortunately, I couldn't help him now, so he had to struggle through it.

Thyst growled as he watched the human girl and the Grovyle stumble out of the dungeon. They were the reason why Lord Dusknoir had sent him into a dirty, grimy dungeon full of mud and poison! Thyst was a low-ranking Sableye under Dusknoir's command. His name, Thyst, was short for Amethyst, in reference to his purple-colored gem eyes. Thyst hated his job, but he was more scared of Lord Dusknoir than anything else in the world, even Master Dialga. He eyed the human and the Grovyle for a minute before hurrying away to report to Lord Dusknoir.

Grovyle coughed, spitting blood and muk out of his mouth, and slumped to the ground next to me. I looked at him in dismay. We had finally gotten through Labyrinth Cave, but Grovyle was really sick. I looked around for a shelter that we could rest in; but there was nothing but bare land around us, a few dark, twisted remains of trees scattered about here and there. I leaned down next to Grovyle, cursing. Grovyle opened one eye and peered at me, his breathing harsh and ragged. Though he was very sick and on the brink of death, his eye was shining in amusement.

"Did… anyone ever…" he coughed, "tell you… that you're cute… when you swear?" I rolled my eyes, but a smile crept over my lips.

"You're on the brink of death, and you're still telling jokes? Really, Grovyle! Save your breath." I said gently. Grovyle gave a faint smile.

"I just… wanted to see… you… smile." He struggled to say. I looked down at him, my head racing. Grovyle was only about fifty pounds; I could carry him for a while. I had to find us shelter; out here in the open, Dusknoir could catch us very easily. And when he saw how sick Grovyle was; he'd be more than likely just to kill Grovyle right then and there. I couldn't let that happen. I wrapped my arms around Grovyle's limp body and stood up, carrying him in my arms. He was heavy, but not too heavy. Grovyle struggled a little.

"You don't… need to… carry me," he protested. I shook my head, not bothering to answer, and set off across the black plain.

"Finally!" I gasped as I set Grovyle down onto the floor of the little cave I'd found. It had been hours until I'd found this cave; and Grovyle had only worsened. He had fallen unconscious a while ago, and he didn't open his eyes as I scrambled around him, getting out my healing kit. "Poison… poison…" I muttered as I flipped through my journal. My mother had made me write everything she had ever taught me about healing down, and now I was grateful.

I looked over at Grovyle and winced. The leaves on his body were wilted, browning, and on some of them there was that purple mold he had been coughing up. I took out a bunch of Pecha Berries, and I brought one over to Grovyle, to see if he could manage to eat it. But he didn't wake up as I tried to rouse him. I bit my lip, and brought out a little bowl and pestle and began crushing up the pecha berries carefully, not wanting to waste a single drop of their juice. I clenched my teeth angrily.

"If only I could dry them; this would be a lot easier." I muttered to myself. But of course; there was no sun to dry them in. Without the sun, it would take many days for the berries to dry. When the berries were as crushed as I could make them, I poured the mixture into a little cup and forced Grovyle to drink it. I poured the drink into Grovyle's mouth and rubbed his throat, making him swallow, praying it would be enough. Then I examined his leaves. I scraped off the mold as carefully as I could, putting it in an empty jar. Who knew when poison would come in handy?

I gave Grovyle some water, and bandaged his other wounds; scrapes and cuts from the other pokémon that had been in the dungeon; and then did the same for myself. Glancing over at Grovyle all the while; I made a fire and placed five of each kind of berry a few paces away; so they could start drying a little; cursing myself for not thinking of it sooner. After a while, I gave Grovyle some more of the crushed Pecha berries, this time adding Oran Berries, too. I sighed as I finished, worried that my healing wouldn't be enough.

A few days later, Grovyle was sitting up, still coughing a little, but much better. He looked at me with thanks in his eyes. "If it hadn't been for you, Haley, I would have died." He said gratefully, his voice still raspy. But I couldn't help but say in return,

"If it hadn't been for me, you never would have been in that dungeon." Grovyle rolled his eyes.

"I might have gone there anyway, and without you, I would have died _in_ the dungeon." I shook my head, but stopped arguing with him. I was just glad that my healing had worked. I had successfully dried some berries, and I put them in separate pouches, packing up my kit. Grovyle looked at my kit.

"You're mother taught you all that?" he asked. I nodded, snapping the box shut and placing it in my bag carefully. Grovyle chuckled as he looked inside my bag. "I don't think I've ever known anyone to be so organized, especially with just a bag to carry dungeon items in." I rolled my eyes, but it was true. In my bag, I had a place for everything; a separate pouch for each different item.

Grovyle looked suddenly serious. "We should get going again." He said. "We've lost too much time. Dusknoir could be at your house by now." I shook my head.

"No, Grovyle. You're in no state to go traversing dungeons yet. Amp Plains is dangerous; you admitted it yourself. I'm not very fast, and right now, neither are you. We would never get through Amp Plains."

"We could go around." He suggested, though he didn't sound very enthusiastic about it. "It would take longer, but it would be safer." I looked at him and sighed. There was no arguing with him! He just thought of something else for every objection I had.

"Fine, you win, Grovyle. But don't blame me when we run into trouble."

"Remember how I said I wouldn't blame you when we ran into trouble?" Grovyle asked me as we ran across the plain. I glared at him.

"Yes." I hissed, resisting the urge to look behind me.

"Well, I'm giving that up. This is all your fault!" He said, and I rolled my eyes.

"Yes, I know it's my fault. But you were the one who wanted to sneak past a family of Houndour! You know they have extra-sensitive hearing! But no, the great Grovyle can do anything he wants, including taking a clumsy _human_ past a Houndour den!" I exclaimed exasperatedly. Grovyle snorted with laughter.

"You know you just insulted yourself?" he asked.

"Well you would have said it if I hadn't! I was just beating you to the chase!" I retorted, a smile flashing across my face. "I'm sick of running. Why don't we show these puppies we're not scared of them?"

"Even if we are?" he asked, a glint of mischief shining in his eyes.

"Especially then!" I said, and then skidded to a halt, whipping around. I quickly used a Shadow Ball to knock out the lead Houndour, who yelped in surprise as he went down. The other Houndour howled as they realized their prey had turned on them.

Grovyle used Dig, and I flung another Shadow Ball at a Houndour that was leaping at my face, claws extended. It fell to the ground with a yelp, but clambered back to its feet, snarling. "You won't take me out that easily, _human_!" it growled condescendingly. There were a few yelps from behind the Houndour from the other members of the pack.

Grovyle had sprung out of the ground and had immediately started using Leaf Blade over and over on the other Houndour. The Lead Houndour, or at least I assumed it was the leader since he had shrugged off my attack so easily, glanced back at the fight with narrowed eyes for a second, then looked back at me. "Looks like that Grovyle is more useful than you are at fighting." He commented, and I scowled.

"You want to find out for yourself?" I challenged, my hands forming into fists. The Houndour smirked.

"You can't beat me. But if you want to try, you're more than welcome to." He sneered. I glared at him, and quickly flashed my hands at him, unleashing an ice beam. The Houndour froze, literally, in surprise as the ice spread over his body. "NOOO! You can't do this to me! _He_ said you were weak –" Then the ice spread over his mouth and he was unable to speak, though his eyes followed me, glaring daggers. I knew that the ice wouldn't last very long since the Houndour was a fire type as well as a dark type, so I froze him a couple more times over, and raced to join Grovyle.

But Grovyle had sent the other Houndour packing by the time I got to him, and he turned to me, his eyes flashing gleefully. I understood how he felt. There was a certain euphoria in beating an opponent, especially one that had an advantage over you. I gestured to the frozen Houndour behind me. "I think Dusknoir sent these Houndour after us." I said in a low tone. Grovyle frowned, all traces of happiness gone immediately.

"How so?" he questioned me.

"Well, I didn't hear all of what he was saying, because I froze him. But he said that 'he said I would be weak.' I'm guessing that _he_ is Dusknoir, or an agent of Dusknoir. This is something Dusknoir would do. I think the attack was just meant to slow us until Dusknoir could arrive." An evil chuckling started right after I had completed my sentence.

"Very good, Haley. I suspected, rightly so, that you would figure out it was a trap. But I also suspected, again I am right, that it would be too late by the time you realized it." Dusknoir's voice, full of self-satisfaction, floated out of the gloom around us. I looked everywhere, but couldn't see him.

"Where are you, Dusknoir? Stop playing games and come out of hiding!" I snapped. Dusknoir laughed again, the laugh echoing everywhere, making it impossible to tell where it came from.

"Are you sure you want me to come out?" He asked, his voice full of malicious glee. I snarled, looking around again.

"Show yourself!" I growled, and I heard Dusknoir laugh.

"Very well, if you insist…" Suddenly a hand came down onto my right shoulder, and I spun around, throwing Dusknoir's hand off.

"Get OFF OF ME!" I snapped, but Dusknoir merely laughed, shaking his head. His eye gleamed in amusement as he signaled to hidden Sableye. A group of them immediately surrounded us. Grovyle and I glanced at each other, both of us thinking the same thing.

I pulled a Luminous Orb out of my bag and shattered it on the ground. Blinding light exploded from it, and Dusknoir and the Sableye reeled back in surprise. Grovyle grabbed my arm and used Dig, pulling me with him. When we reached the surface again, Dusknoir and the Sableye were 100 feet away.

Grovyle and I began running, and I heard Dusknoir shout behind me. "There they are! After them!" I ran faster, keeping my sights on Grovyle, who was ahead of me. I had lost all sense of direction now, so I didn't know if we were even heading to my house any more.

After a while of running, my breathing became harsh and ragged, and I knew I couldn't hold out much longer. But then Grovyle suddenly disappeared from in front of me, and I skidded to a halt, stopping short just at the edge of a cliff, over which Grovyle had fallen. I looked over the edge, trying to see Grovyle, but it was too dark. I heard evil chuckling behind me, and slowly turned around to see Dusknoir standing –floating– behind me, his arms crossed over his chest, the Sableye fanned out behind him, blocking my escape.

"Poor Grovyle," Dusknoir commented, not sounding at all like he meant it, "What a way to go." He shook his head. "At least it was quick, unlike yours will be." He said, eye narrowing, glaring at me. "You'll soon wish you had taken the dive too," he promised, his voice full of menace. I glanced off the cliff, into the black darkness. I swallowed.

"Dusknoir, you should have known better than to underestimate me." I said, turned around, and leapt off the cliff, arms spread wide. I heard Dusknoir give an angry cry behind me, and then nothing as I fell further into the canyon, waiting to hit the ground. But I didn't. I fell into a river, which saved me from death, though my breath went out of me. I gasped, rising to the top of the water, thrashing around for a minute. Then I struck out with my arms, swimming to the edge of the river, and hauled myself out. I looked around, shivering, for a sign of Grovyle. For a minute, I saw nothing. Then I noticed a lump of green a few yards away, crumpled up. I rushed over to Grovyle's side, and rolled him over. Blank yellow eyes stared up at the sky, and blood was leaking out of his mouth very slowly. I screamed.

"NO!" I put my head down on his chest, listening for a heartbeat, but heard nothing. I trembled and backed away, shaking my head. This could not be happening! A voice behind me made me gasp and turn around.

"Yes, sad, isn't it?" It was Dusknoir, his eye gleaming, a smile on his face. "You could have prevented it, you know. All you had to do was come with me. Master Dialga doesn't care about this lizard. Without you, the PIT is nothing. Come, Haley." He beckoned to me. "Stop this folly. Stop letting other people get killed for your sake. Come with me, and I promise no one else will die." I trembled, trying not to cry.

I looked back at Grovyle's body, and I noticed something. Something odd. Grovyle's scar, the one that ran the length of the leaf on his head, wasn't there. I frowned. Then I heard something, a voice I hadn't heard in what seemed like forever.

"_Yes, that's exactly right! It's not Grovyle! This isn't real! This is all…_" My mom's voice!

"This is all… a nightmare!" I shouted, and the dream-state lifted. I was lying on the ground, Dusknoir standing over me. Grovyle was being held back by a dozen Sableye. And my mom had just appeared over the hill, a gleaming white sword in her hand. Dusknoir swore.

"Damn! I was so close, too!" He glared at my mother. "Can't you keep your nose out of my business for ten minutes?" he demanded. My mom rolled her eyes, coming closer.

"It is my business when you mess with my daughter!" she snapped. She stepped closer, now between the Sableye and Dusknoir, her sword glowing brighter than ever. "Get out of here, or I will break it." She said quietly, holding up the sword. Dusknoir winced, and fell back from me, cringing before the sword.

"Enough!" he shouted, and for a second everything went pitch-black. Then the black cleared and I was able to see again. Grovyle was lying on the ground now, too, shuddering and gasping, massaging his throat. I stood up and hugged my mom, in complete shock.

"How did you find us, mom? I thought Dusknoir was going to kill us!" I said. My mom smiled at me, hugging me back.

"It's alright, Haley. You're OK now. But… that wasn't Dusknoir." I looked up at her, frowning.

"What? Then who was it?" I asked. My mom's eyes darkened.

"Someone I hope you'll never meet again." She said ominously, but refused to say anything more on the subject, other than the fact that the Dusknoir and the Sableye I had seen were nothing more than illusions.

"Those Sableye sure didn't feel like illusions." Grovyle grumbled. My mom gave a short laugh.

"That's what makes the pokémon you met so dangerous. His illusions can kill you."

"He seemed to know you." I said. "Mom, do you know him from somewhere?" But she refused to say anything else, and led us back home; up the hill and down the frozen waterfall.

**Author's note: SO what did you think? Tell me in a review! By the way, I am so sorry about not updating for so long; it took **_**FOREVER**_** to get this chapter out. I'm not promising anything, but hopefully next chapter will be updated sooner.**

**Random Fact #10: I guess this isn't really a random fact so much as a random story. Like I said at the beginning, this fact is my version of pokémon and human history. SO, on with the story.  
>So, you've all heard about the 2012 theory, correct? That the world is going to end in 2012? Not quite. In my version of history, in 2012, Earth was overrun by wild pokémon. When I say wild, I mean <strong>_**wild**_**, insentient, powerful pokémon. We humans fought back, of course, but even with our technology, how could we win against pokémon like Groudon and Kyogre; Dialga and Palkia; Articuno, Moltres, and Zapdos? Even with Rayquaza, Giratina, and Lugia there to mete out the damage, we couldn't beat these pokémon. So the Legendary pokémon destroyed all traces of human life, and the humans that were left had to try and make their own way. They eventually figured out that humans could keep pokémon from attacking them by worshiping the Legendaries. So humans and pokémon avoided each other for a while; a kind of cold war. The world had completely changed. All the landmasses, guided by Groudon, had gathered into one again (Pangaea) and the oceans spread around it, creating the well-known world-of-pokémon regions: Johto, Sinnoh, Kanto, and Hoenn. Humans recovered from their original defeat, and this time around, humans had a better respect for nature and other life-forms (mostly). Humans rebuilt homes and cities; but this time respecting pokémon and other animals, as well as nature. There were even a few cities made out of trees! But still, humans and pokémon kept separate. Then one day, about 4500 A.P. (After Pokemon; time restarted after pokémon came to the Earth) a human was walking in the woods and saved a Rattata from being eaten by a Persian. The Rattata responded by following the human around, sometimes finding the human food, or showing the human shelter when the human camped in the woods. The human and the Rattata grew a bond that stayed until they both died. Other humans watched this phenomenon, and started wondering. Were pokémon sentient after all? So began the era of pokémon and human peace. Humans taught pokémon, and pokémon taught humans. Even the pokémon who chose to stay wild (including the Legendaries) were now sentient. So humans and pokémon existed in peace for the most part, and though a few groups of humans tried to use pokémon to their own ends, (Team Magma, Team Aqua, Team Rocket, Team Galactic) they were stopped and there was peace for 2500 years. Then humans started dying out. No one knows why or how, but humans just started dying and disappearing. Pokémon were left on their own again; but this time, pokémon were sentient. Though there were a few scattered groups of humans here and there, humans never recovered from whatever made their numbers go down, and for the most part, didn't bother pokémon. The Pokémon world lasted in peace for 1500 more years, when the world's balance was thrown out of whack, and a giant meteor almost crashed into the Earth. Thankfully Rayquaza was able to destroy it just in time, thanks to a pair of pokémon, one of them having once been a human. 1456 years later, another disaster hit; one that was not prevented: time collapsed. Dialga had put too much power into Temporal Tower when he created it, that when a lone pokémon slipped unseen into the tower and caused great damage to the tower, time collapsed with the tower; and Dialga lost all reason. 100 years later, Haley was born into the dark, paralyzed world, destined to prevent time from stopping. Born to die. What a horrible destiny. Well, I guess we all are born to die, but still. You know what I mean!**


	13. Chapter 13: My Mom the Teacher

**Author's Note: What did you think of the last chapter? Poison? A vicious pack of Houndour? And who is this imposter that posed as Dusknoir that Haley's mom seems to know? You'll find out later, I suppose… the pokémon in question just decided to walk in my story; though I didn't plan on having him in the story quite yet. Hmmm…. These characters have a mind of their own. What to do, what to do? Anyways; all standard disclaimers apply. I do not own pokémon.**

Chapter 13: My mom… the teacher

When we got to my –old– house, the first thing Grovyle and I did was sleep. I slept for a whole 'day!' I had never slept so long before. But I _was_ tired; weeks of traveling and fighting for my life had left me battered. Now that I had rested, though, I felt like I could do anything –including teaching that rotten Dusknoir a lesson! But it was my mom that ended up being the teacher: of me, and surprisingly, Grovyle.

After Grovyle and I had slept off our exhaustion, the three of us sat down to eat; Grovyle and I alternating between telling my mom all that had happened. When we finished laying out the story; she was quiet for a long while, staring at the table. Then she looked up at me, with a rather sheepish smile on her face.

"I suppose I should have warned you, Haley." She said. "But, I wanted to protect you." I gave her a small smile.

"I understand, Mom. It's not your fault." I replied. My mom took a deep breath.

"Well, what are we doing sitting around? We should be getting caught up!" she announced, and stood up from the table. I blinked.

"What do you mean?" My mom cast me a confused look.

"Well, I'm going to teach you what I should have taught you a long time ago!"

"Um… ok." I said, exchanging a look with Grovyle, before following her. Grovyle walked behind me, curious. My mom led us outside, to a seemingly bare patch of earth. I frowned. "Mom, what –?" She shook her head, holding up her hand to silence me.

She leant down and pulled at something on the ground, and suddenly, an earth-colored trapdoor swung upward, revealing stairs leading into darkness. Grovyle and I gasped, and we followed my mom into the hole. She lit a lamp, and then shut the door after us. Then she led to way into a huge underground room. I gasped as I looked around.

The room was amazing. Bookshelves lined one wall, filled with old-looking books. Against a different wall was a display case with amazing weapons inside. There was a desk with paper –paper!– and quills set up neatly on it. There was a sofa pushed off to one side, and in the middle of the room, an area where one could practice fighting skills.

"Woah…" Grovyle murmured. "I am so jealous, Ms. Regina. The PIT would _kill_ to have a room like this!" I shot him a weird look. I had never heard my mom referred to as 'Ms. Regina' before. My mom laughed.

"You don't have to call me that, Grovyle. Just call me Gina." She said amicably. She flashed a smile at me. "And to imagine; you never even knew this place existed, let alone under your own house!" she said, laughing. I laughed along with her.

"That's true," I agreed. "I never guessed, even though I _must_ have walked over that spot hundreds of times!" I walked over to the weapons display case. There were two swords hanging side by side; one was black, the other was white. I recognized the white one as the one my mom had used the other day. There was also a gold-and-silver bow; with a quiver and arrows to match. Then I noticed the cream-of-the-crop, at least in my opinion: a single set of gleaming claws that could be attached to human hands.

I turned to my mom, eyes pleading to try them out. She grinned. "You know, I made those for you." She said. My eyes widened.

"Really?" she nodded, and slid the glass away. I picked them up gingerly, hardly believing my eyes. My mom helped me put them on; and we began my training without my TM Bracelets. My mom did not trust the bracelets. She feared that Dusknoir could turn them off at will; and if I didn't have an alternate method of fighting, I'd be easily taken down. I had to admit she had a point; not just that; if someone managed to get them off my arms during a battle, I'd be in trouble. So I practiced with the white sword, the bow & arrows, and the –_my_– claws.

**Scenebreak- scenebreak- scenebreak- scenebreak**

After a while, I asked my mom about the strange sword. Whenever I or someone else held it; it emitted a soft glow, differing in colors as emotions changed.

"It's an Aura Blade," my mom replied. Grovyle's eyes widened.

"You're serious?" he asked, staring at the sword in shock and amazement.

"I'm serious as serious can be." My mom replied calmly.

"But what about the black one?" I asked curiously. My mom's expression darkened.

"That, too, is an Aura Blade. But I don't let anyone use it. It's got a long, dark history; and it always brings trouble, danger, and darkness." She said ominously.

"What are their names?" Grovyle asked. I looked at him in confusion.

"The swords have names?" I asked incredulously.

"Aura Blades always have names." My mom replied. "You'll recognize the black sword's name: _Dusknoir_." At the last, both Grovyle and I turned to my mom with expressions of shock on our faces. She nodded grimly. "The sword used to be Dusknoir's; until I took it away from him, with the white sword."

"What's the white sword's name?" I asked, gazing at the black sword, and then transferring my gaze to the sword in my hand.

My mom smiled. "I named it to rival Dusknoir: _Dawnblanche_." I smiled at that, too. Grovyle looked between us, confused.

"Is there a joke here that I'm not understanding?" he asked. I laughed.

"Est-ce tu parles français?" I asked. More confusion spread over his face.

"What?" My mom laughed.

"It's ok, Grovyle. Haley's just having a joke at your expense. Haley and I know a different human language than the Common Language. In the other language, _Dusknoir_ seems to mean Black Dusk, and _Dawnblanche_ means White Dawn. They are complete opposites of each other, you see?" Understanding dawned on Grovyle's face.

"Oh… I see. That makes sense, now." He said.

**Scenebreak- scenebreak- scenebreak- scenebreak**

Thyst narrowed his eyes as he looked upon the house. It seemed to be empty; but there was nowhere the humans and the Grovyle could have gone without him knowing. '_They must be sleeping_.' Thyst thought, and settled down in the branches of a tree to wait. His thoughts turned to earlier in the day, and he growled softly.

Thyst had reported to Lord Dusknoir as soon as he had reached the camp. Lord Dusknoir had grown quiet, thoughtful; he had done this a lot since the human girl had appeared. Whenever someone interrupted him while he was doing this; they promptly got beaten down and punished. So Thyst had simply waited for orders; they always came. And come they did! Lord Dusknoir had not recognized Thyst's hard work, just ordered him back to keep watching the human and Grovyle.

So Thyst had followed the footprints and the whispers of the land; they had led him to this small house. His instincts and the land told him they were still here at the house. Thyst had an odd affiliation with the land: he could sense the whispers of the earth; oh, the stories it told! Thousands upon thousands of years of wisdom and knowledge poured from the ground for all to hear; if only one would listen. But Thyst seemed to be the only one left who could sense these tremors and whispers. Resentment curdled in him; he could do so much better than the Sableye that followed Master Dialga and Lord Dusknoir! But fear kept him rooted to his clan, his people, his _masters_.

**Scenebreak- scenebreak- scenebreak- scenebreak**

My mom taught me many things besides fighting: she taught me Footprint Runes, and improved my knowledge of Unown Script, for I had not used it in so long, things were leaking out. She had many books from before the Collapse, even from before the decline of humans; when humans and pokémon worked together as friends and partners. Unfortunately, there was little on Dialga, and _nothing_, at least written by humans, about Temporal Tower or the Time Gears.

"That is because humans didn't know about the Time Gears." My mom informed me. "Humans back then believed that Time was regulated directly by Dialga." I snorted.

"Shows what they knew. And they thought they were _so_ smart."

But besides the disappointment that there was nothing about the Time Gears, surprisingly, there were _several_ books on the Dimensional Scream! My mom knew a lot about the ability too.

"When I realized that you had the Dimensional Scream, Haley, I learned everything I could. I knew it would put you in danger, and I tried to hide it as much as I could. And I succeeded, for a while; otherwise Dusknoir would have come for you much sooner. Dialga's not one to leave loose ends to go untied for long." She said. I frowned.

"Why do you say his name?" I asked. "He could be looking at us now!"

"He could, but I doubt it." She replied. "He lied to you; he _can't_ sense every time someone says his name. Maybe at one point he did, but too many people use his name now for him to be alerted every time." I relaxed. It was a relief to be able to speak Dialga's name without being afraid he was watching me.

I learned a lot about the Dimensional Scream, and the irregularities in my Dimensional Scream became clear: though the nature of the Dimensional Scream never changed; it manifested itself differently with each person. And I also learned that only humans could have the Dimensional Scream, though unreliable sources claimed otherwise. '_Hmmm… I wonder who these '_unreliable_' sources are._' I wondered.

As we had already figured out; my Dimensional Scream worked when I was around a trusted partner, either human or pokémon. I found out for certain what set off my Dimensional Scream: anything to do with time or space, which included Time Gears. So… if Grovyle and I went to different dungeons around the land; and I experienced a Dimensional Scream, the place definitely had an affinity with time or space. When Grovyle and I found that out, we got very excited. There was a way to tell where Time Gears were! We had a chance, slight though it was, that we could restore time!

**Scenebreak- scenebreak- scenebreak- scenebreak**

After several weeks had passed; Grovyle keeping in touch with the PIT through a messenger Pidgey; my mom decided I was ready to move on, and truly start the mission to solve the planet's paralysis. She had taught me all she could; I was decent with a bow, I could hold my own with _Dawnblanche_ and the TM bracelets, I was great with my claws, I could now read and write in both Footprint Runes and Unown Script, and I had learned a lot about my Dimensional Scream ability.

So, with a heavy heart, unwilling to leave my mom; I agreed to start looking for the locations of Time Gears with Grovyle. We sat around the table, looking at the map my mom had of the Paralyzed World. She also had a map of the old world; from before the Collapse. As she had told me and Grovyle; the Collapse of Temporal Tower had shifted the world, so our world was slightly different than it had been before the Collapse.

"So where should we look first?" I asked, looking at the map of our world. "The closest dungeon would be the Tiny Hills or Amp Plains, but…"

"I am positive that a Time Gear did not reside in Amp Plains." My mom said. "Because I know for a fact that at the end of Amp Plains lived a very territorial group of Luxio and its evolutions… they wouldn't have lived there if a Time Gear had been in Amp Plains." I nodded.

"And Tiny Hills is a new dungeon," Grovyle added. "It's only been around for ten years."

"Well, there's also the desert to the north of here," I said. "Or the Spacial Cliffs. But the Spacial Cliffs wouldn't hold a Time Gear, surely. I mean to say… _Spacial_ Cliffs? That suggests affinity with space, not time."

"Unless that was the point; to mislead those who were seeking Time Gears." My mom suggested. "But I agree; I doubt there's a Time Gear there. The desert, however… I don't want you to explore there until you guys are stronger. The desert is dangerous, and unexplored."

"Well, what else is relatively close?" I asked. "We've already been in Labyrinth Cave; I did not receive any Dimensional Scream, and I touched enough things in there to trigger one!"

"What about Treeshroud Forest?" Grovyle proposed. "It's only a little ways past Spacial Cliffs, and it's not too dangerous of a dungeon: low level difficulty." I licked my lips, thinking.

"That could work. What do you think, Mom?" my mom looked satisfied.

"It's a good choice. It's only about two or three days away, provided you don't run into any trouble or traverse another dungeon." I nodded.

"Then that's settled! We'll explore Treeshroud Forest." I stood up. "Ready, Grovyle?"

"Ready, Partner." I smiled.

"Then let's go."

**Author's note: Sooooo… not the longest chapter that I've written, but a decent size, don'tcha think? Not a lot happened; kind of a filler chapter, but it needed to be written, because I don't like big time jumps. I bet you all are wondering what the heck is going on with Thyst. Like: who is he, really? What is his role going to be? **_**Is**_** he going to indeed have a role; or is FD just putting him in randomly? And so on and so forth. Well I have to admit: I have absolutely **_**no**_** idea. He just jumped into my story, for no good reason at all! I suppose he'll tell me what he wants to do later, I guess. So no extra about him yet. Anyways, hope you liked the chapter; please leave a contribution in the little box.**

**Extra # 11: The Story behind **_**Dusknoir**_** and **_**Dawnblanche**_** (The Aura Blades, of course!) So this is how I managed to come up with the idea for the Aura Blades and their names.  
>In case you haven't noticed yet; I love Dusknoir. He is evil, I know, but I <strong>_**LOVE**_** him. But at the same time, I want to take him down… so that's a problem. I am taking French Class (in case you didn't know) and I noticed that 'noir' in French means black. So, logical sense made me think: hmm… does Dusknoir's name mean Black Ghost? But 'dusk' does not mean ghost in French, so that theory was shut down. But in my head, I occasionally call him 'Black Dusk.' So I decided that if there was anybody in the world that was the opposite of Dusknoir; a person that could defeat him, they would be solid; alive; and full of a bright spirit, be a girl (since Dusknoir is male in the game), and have the name 'Dawnblanche' which means 'White Dawn!' So that's the story!**

**Flying Dragonite *poof***


	14. Chapter 14: Treeshroud Forest

**Author's Note: So did you like the last chappie? No? Then why are you reading if you don't like? Anyways; I've got nothing important to say; let's just get on with the chapter. All standard disclaimers apply.**

Chapter 14: Treeshroud Forest (the First Time Gear)

Grovyle and I looked at the huge forest that spread out in front of us. "Treeshroud Forest," I said quietly. "Wow, this place is huge!" Grovyle looked at me.

"Not really. It's only 20 floors." He said. I rolled my eyes.

"I was talking about the _trees_." The trees were at least a hundred feet tall; I'd never seen trees so big before.

"Well, they have been around for over a hundred years."

"That's true." I said. "So, what are the pokémon that live here again?"

"Well, grass-types, of course. Then there are some Vespiquen, but no Combee; Kadabra and Alakazam; Vulpix and Ninetales; Houndour and Houndoom… I think that's about it." Grovyle replied. I nodded.

"Well, are you ready?"

"Yep."

"Let's go!"

**Scenebreak- scenebreak- scenebreak- scenebreak**

Treeshroud Forest F1-20

We ran into trouble immediately. It just figures, with our luck. We entered a monster house right away. So about 20 pokémon descended upon us; most of them Cherrim and Houndoom. I took out the Houndoom; knowing that Grovyle was at a disadvantage to the fire-dark type. There were about seven of them, and they all attacked me at once. I unsheathed _Dawnblanche_ and struck out with it, causing a Houndoom to jump back with a yelp, and lighting the room better than before, with the white light that emanated from the sword.

Meanwhile, Grovyle had jumped forward, quickly dispatching three Cherrim with a couple slashes of his Leaf Blade. The Cherrim gave cries of anguish, turning the pack of Houndoom's attention onto Grovyle. I took my chance, and, focusing, hard; concentrated on the power of water, turning _Dawnblanche_'s light to blue; and then cut down a Houndoom, causing him to yelp and disappear as he fainted from the super powerful attack of water.

I slashed at another Houndoom, but he was wary of me, and backed away, turning _Dawnblanche_'s blade away with his claws. Grovyle had disappeared underground for his Dig attack, and suddenly erupted from the ground, using the force of the ground to injure more Cherrim, many of whom screeched and ran off in fear. Now there were five Houndoom left and a particularly stubborn Cherrim. I cast an Ice Beam at the Cherrim, and Grovyle dove underground for another Dig attack.

The super-effective ice attack finished the Cherrim; and a couple more Digs along with a few slashes from _Dawnblanche_ defeated the remaining Houndoom. I grinned at Grovyle and gave him a high-five (of sorts, since Grovyle doesn't have five fingers, but whatever). We quickly found the staircase and climbed up.

On the next floor, we got turned around in a particularly difficult maze; I had to keep _Dawnblanche_ out to light the way, since the huge ancient trees blocked what little light our dark world left us. Finally, after several run-ins with Cherrim and a strong Ninetales, we reached the staircase. Luckily, we found the staircase in the room we first entered on the third floor, and entered the fourth floor.

After an hour or two of dungeon-crawling; we reached the fifteenth floor. We heard talking ahead of us from another room. Frowning, I cast a confused glance at Grovyle. Pokémon in dungeons generally were wild or too twisted by the dark world to do anything but snarl and attack. So who could be talking? We inched forward and entered the room from which the talking was coming from. I stopped in surprise when I saw who it was.

There was a large red rug on the floor, with merchandise spread out on it; a green-colored Kecleon and a purple-colored Kecleon were sitting on it, talking softly to each other. Then the green Kecleon noticed Grovyle and I, and stopped talking. "Customers!" he greeted us; not even double-taking at the sight of me. The purple Kecleon looked up too and smiled.

Eyebrows furrowing in confusion, I stepped forward cautiously. "Who are you guys?" I asked. Grovyle walked up beside me.

"And what is all this stuff?" Grovyle asked.

"Oh, this is your first time meeting us?" the green Kecleon asked cheerfully. "Wonderful; _new_ customers! Well, kind sir and lady; we are the Kecleon brothers! I am Emerald, and my brother's name is Lapis. We're part of a huge family of Kecleon all over the world that for generations, have served pokémon exploring dungeons! We have dungeon merchandise that we've found ourselves or have had sold to us by other pokémon; for sale here in the middle of dungeons or in the more populated regions!"

Lapis, the purple Kecleon started to speak now. "My brother sells general merchandise like seeds, berries, and throwing items. I sell Orbs and TMs; so if you would like to examine our merchandise, feel free to ask!"

"But…" the brothers said together, suddenly serious. "We do not tolerate thieves. Any theft will be taken very seriously; and will have dire consequences." In the dim light of my blade and the lamp they had with them, their eyes sparkled dangerously. I swallowed.

"Yeah; gotcha; no stealing." I said agreeably. For some reason that I couldn't explain, I knew that it would _not_ be a good idea to piss these pokémon off. Grovyle shot me a look that said he agreed, and then walked onto the rug, looking at the items. I looked around, making sure no wild pokémon was going to surprise us while we were looking. Then I heard Grovyle gasp behind me. I spun around, and he was holding a seed reverently.

I went over to him to see what it was. I gasped, too. The seed had a mystical quality; the air around it shimmered slightly; and the seed was a beautiful silver color, and emanated a sense of great power. It was a Reviver Seed. "How on earth did you get a Reviver Seed?" I asked, turning to the Kecleon. "These are really, really rare!" And it was true; ever since the Collapse, Reviver Seeds had been showing up less and less, until they were as rare as weather. Emerald smiled.

"We actually have five in stock." My eyes popped. "They're not as rare as you think," Emerald went on. "But you usually only find them in the harder dungeons; such as the Giant Volcano and Dark Hill. But my brother and I are high-level, powerful pokémon! We traverse these dungeons just to collect items."

"How much are you selling them for?" I asked, cringing inwardly at the thought.

"Right now, they're at about 1,000 poké per Reviver Seed." Emerald replied, and I gaped at him. That was so low, for such a rare and precious item! I rummaged in my bag for my money pouch; thanking Arceus (and my mom) that I had been getting a steady allowance of 100 poké a week since I was ten, and that Grovyle and I had found several heaps of the golden coins that were poké in the dungeons we'd traveled.

"We'll take all of them!" I said; handing Emerald 5,000 poké. Emerald smiled, and brought out four more Reviver Seeds. I held them reverently for a second; transfixed by their mystical quality, and then put them in a pouch that had been previously empty. I looked around. "What else are you guys selling?"

After about twenty minutes of seeing their merchandise, bartering, trading, and haggling, Grovyle and I had a pretty good haul: five Reviver Seeds; two Quick Seeds (for me, since Grovyle was so much faster than me); four Violent Seeds; four Vile Seeds; restocked my berries for my medicine pouch to ten per berry; two Rollcall Orbs, and four Paralyze Orbs. Thanking the Kecleon profusely, Grovyle and I headed up the stairs to the next floor.

We made it through the next few floors easily; heartened by the presence of the Reviver Seeds in my pack, and having renewed our items. On the twentieth floor; we ran into another monster house; but we were able to take care of it easily using a Paralyze Orb and then methodically attacking one pokémon at a time. (**hee-hee, I do this in my game all the time**)

Treeshroud Forest Clearing

After the twentieth floor, we finally made it to the end of the dungeon. The end of the dungeon was a large clearing surrounded by trees. At the end of the clearing, there were two more trees on either side of a wall of ivy. I stepped forward, examining the ivy. "Does ivy usually grow like this?" I wondered out loud. "Doesn't it need something to grow on?"

I reached out my hand and brushed some of the ivy aside, and gasped. Grovyle was at my side immediately. "What?" He demanded.

"Look!" I said, and pulled more ivy aside, causing it all to come down on us, burying Grovyle and I in a cascade of ivy. I brushed the ivy off casually, but Grovyle shoved it off irritably, glaring at me.

"_That's_ what you wanted to show me? That you could bury me in plantlife?" He demanded, and I snickered.

"You already _are_ plantlife; why would I want to bury you in it?" I asked, and he rolled his eyes.

"Ha-ha." He said sarcastically. I shook my head.

"Just look at the wall!" I said, pointing to what the ivy had been covering. Grovyle looked and gasped. The wall was an ancient stone wall, covered with intricate designs. And in the middle of the wall was a large open space that looked like it had once held something. I frowned, and reached out my hand. "I wonder what used to be there." I said.

"Don't touch it!" Grovyle warned, but it was too late. My hand touched the bare space. The wall felt cool and smooth to the touch. Then, all of a sudden, I started feeling dizzy.

"Huh?" I said, and the dizzy feeling washed over me again. Then a wave of black crashed over me, but only for a second. There was a burst of white light, and then I was staring at a Time Gear, hanging in the middle of the wall, glowing with a beautiful green-blue radiance. I was captivated by the scene before me. The trees in the clearing were suddenly full of life; many different shades of green, rather than the one dark, sickly green that I knew from the paralyzed world. The leaves danced around on their branches, and I felt something strange… it was like nothing I could describe… Kind of like a Pidgey's gust attack, but it didn't hurt or anything… no, that wasn't a good description. I simply couldn't describe it, but whatever it was, it was cool against my skin, and it set the leaves on the trees dancing.

The clearing was not dark, either. Something was lighting up the clearing. I looked up and saw the most amazing thing I had ever seen. The sky was lit up; and the color was blue! I had heard the legends of the sky being blue, but I had never really believed until this moment! There were patches of white here and there, but for the most part, the sky was actually blue! And then I saw it; the thing I had never really believed in… the sun. It was blinding but beautiful. It lit up everything, and it lifted my heart to see it.

But then everything went black again, and then I saw Grovyle standing over me, looking worried. "Are you alright, Haley?" he asked. I nodded wordlessly, struck suddenly by how much this world had really lost. I looked around at the Treeshroud Forest clearing, and I saw just how different this clearing was from the one I had experience just a few moments ago. Everything was dark and black or bleak gray; there was no sun, no coolness carried on the air; no green but dark and sickly-looking, even on Grovyle; whose color I had always thought of as a light green. Tears filled my eyes as I realized how much we had really lost; and it strengthened my resolve to return this world of darkness to the world of light.

Grovyle looked really worried now. "Are you sure that you're alright, Haley? Hey, you're crying! What happened?" He was getting frantic. I tried to calm him down.

"It's OK, Grovyle. I'm fine. I just –I was really affected by my vision." I said, and then looked around again, realizing I was on the ground. "I –what happened? Why am I on the ground?"

"I don't know. You touched the wall, and then you just staggered back and fell. Your eyes were open, but you weren't responding to me. I thought something terrible had happened!"

"No; I just had a Dimensional Scream." I replied. "It was… beautiful, Grovyle. You couldn't even imagine… I saw the sun! I saw an actual Time Gear! I can't believe… you wouldn't believe how much we lost when the Tower Collapsed, Grovyle. Seeing that; it made me sure that we are doing the right thing, trying to restore time." I said to Grovyle, happy. Grovyle looked at me with wide eyes.

"You –you had a Dimensional Scream? We –we were right? Yes! We were right! This forest _did_ have a Time Gear in it!" Grovyle said excitedly. I smiled and stood up.

"Yes, we did it!" I agreed. "Let's go home and tell my mom." Grovyle nodded in agreement.

"Alright!"

**Author's note: So that is Chapter 14 for you! Wow, I'm getting all sorts of ideas now! Yay for non-writer's block! These chapters are a little short by my standards, but hey, that's alright, right? Who can guess what Haley was experiencing when she was talking about 'the coolness in the air?' Cookie to whoever guesses right! I've gotten some feedback on the Dusknoir imposter; and people are saying Zoroark. It's not a Black and White pokémon; none of the pokémon in this fanfic are Gen five. Just Gen four; since that's the game version. Please leave a contribution in the little box.**

**Extra #12: This extra is on… the Kecleon Brothers, Emerald and Lapis!  
>I'll bet you can guess why I named Emerald the way I did; but Lapis? Where in the world did I get Lapis? Well, I'll tell you… Lapis Lazuli. Lapis' name is short for Lapis Lazuli. When I was reading the Deltora Series; I was under the (mistaken) impression that Lapis Lazuli was purple; so I called the purple Kecleon Lapis in my games, and the name stuck.<br>So on with their story: they told Haley and Grovyle a half-truth… It's not a family of Kecleon; it's just those two throughout the Mystery Dungeon generations. Emerald and Lapis are really old; but don't tell them that, because they will hurt you. A lot. They are both about level 80; they have the ability Color Change, of course; and they have super high stats; so that makes them really tough pokémon.**

**Flying Dragonite *poof***


	15. Chapter 15: Fly

**Author's Note: Ok, for the long-awaited 15****th**** chapter (at least on my part)! This chapter was written long ago in my head; and I've been very impatient to write it. So, without further ado…**

Chapter 15: Fly

I knew as soon as Grovyle and I topped the hill overlooking my house that something was wrong. There were shouts and yells; and I could hear the sound of fighting and things breaking. I shot a quick look at Grovyle. He nodded, and we ran down the hill and into my house. Sableye were everywhere, and when we entered, they all turned to look at us, fear –actual fear- was on their faces. There was no sign of Dusknoir.

I snarled, an ugly expression of rage spreading across my face. "Where is my mom? Where is Dusknoir?" I demanded, unsheathing _Dawnblanche_ and swinging it at one of the Sableye. It cowered back in fear.

"Lord Dusknoir is hurt!" it screeched. "Gina is too strong!" With a shriek of fear, it ran out the door, and several other Sableye followed it.

"Cowards," I muttered. I turned to the other Sableye, who were glaring at me and Grovyle.

"Attack!" One of them shouted, and leapt at my face. I cut it down with a slash of my blade, and it fell to the floor dying, blood seeping out of its throat. With a snarl, the other Sableye attacked. Grovyle shot me a look.

"I'll hold them off! You find your mom!" he said, and I nodded, grateful. I cut a way through the mass of Sableye, striking left and right with _Dawnblanche_, while Grovyle attacked the rest of the Sableye. I hurried through the house, shouting for my mom, slashing at Sableye that got in my way.

Finally I found her, cornered by Dusknoir and five Sableye, in our basement. I could tell right away that she was exhausted. She had _Dusknoir_ in her hands (the Aura Blade), and was slashing at the Sableye to keep their claws at bay. She was scratched and bruised, and there were dark circles under her eyes. She was cornered and she knew it; there was a glint of fear in her eyes. Dusknoir was gloating, looking very pleased with himself. No one noticed me.

"So, Regina… I've finally got you right where I want you. After all this time; I've finally caught up to you. There's no one to save you this time; no one to die for you now." Dusknoir was saying, and I saw the flash of hurt in my mom's eyes.

"That was low, Dusknoir, even for you." She said, glaring at him. Dusknoir laughed viciously.

"Oh, but it only hurts you because it's true!" He said. "If you had just given in that time, there would have been no reason for Justin to have died. I had no quarrel with your husband. Only you." I gasped.

"My –my dad?" I choked out. Dusknoir and the Sableye turned around and saw me; my mom turned her eyes on me, very sad. A cruel smile spread across Dusknoir's face.

"Oh, look. Your daughter has arrived, Regina. What a happy family reunion, don't you think?" Dusknoir said, and signaled to his Sableye. I was too stunned to do anything when three of them dragged me over to my mom. Then I came to my senses and slashed _Dawnblanche_ across the chest of a Sableye, and it dropped, cursing. It was too late, though. Now I was backed against the wall next to my mom. I turned my eyes on her.

"My dad? You told me that he –" she interrupted me.

"I know, Haley. I just… I couldn't bear to tell you. I couldn't bear to tell you that it was my fault your father died…" her eyes were sad. I blinked.

"It…. It's ok." I said. "I just… I wish you had told me." I turned back to Dusknoir. "What do you want _now_, Dusknoir?" I demanded. "Can't you just leave my family alone?" Dusknoir chuckled.

"Never, Haley. Your family is too… interesting… not to mess with. Your reactions…" He began to laugh, and his Sableye echoed him. "Too bad Dialga wants to torture you himself," he said. "I _know_ I would have a lot of fun with _you_." I snarled, baring my teeth at him.

"You're evil Dusknoir! Just plain evil! I can't believe I once _admired_ you!" I shouted. Dusknoir just continued to laugh.

"Enough." He said finally, and stopped laughing. "We'll have time for this once you two are my prisoners." A sly smile came to his face. "Or is that three, Haley? Is Grovyle with you?"

"Go to hell!" I swore at him. He smiled, tutting.

"Now, Haley… There is no need to be unpleasant. I merely asked a question." He said. I spat at him angrily. Dusknoir just seemed amused; but one of the Sableye took offense and leapt at me. I brought up my sword, but Dusknoir barked, "No!" and the Sableye stopped in its tracks. Dusknoir glared at the Sableye. "Our orders were clear. Capture the traitors; do _not_ kill!" he snapped at the Sableye. I exchanged a meaningful glance with my mom.

If they had been ordered not to kill us, then we could issue killing blows without fear of the same back. My mom nodded at me, and we both ran forward, striking with our Aura Blades. The five Sableye fell before us easily, and Dusknoir, taken by surprise at our sudden attack, backed out of the basement for reinforcements.

A large battle ensued. My mom and I got separated in the fighting; but I was too busy trying to stay on my feet to worry too much about her. At some point, Grovyle appeared, having finished off the Sableye in the kitchen. Eventually, we were able to drive off most of the Sableye until there was only Dusknoir and six Sableye left. Grovyle and I both ran at them when we heard my mom scream. It was louder than I had ever heard anyone scream in my life. I ran to my mom's side. She had just been stabbed in the back by a blade. I cut down the Sableye that held it, going so far in my anger as to cut off its head.

I yelled in rage, swinging _Dawnblanche_ in a wide circle, making the Sableye around back off. I glanced down at my mom, whose face was twisted in pain. I snarled, and looked around for Dusknoir. He looked shocked, his face blank as he stared down at the form of my wounded mother. His eye slowly rose to meet my own eyes, and what I saw reflected there stopped me from attacking. The way I looked, staring at myself through someone else's eyes… I looked wild, scary-looking; beyond control. My face was twisted in rage; my teeth bared; my sword out, ready to strike…. I looked just like a feral wild or a pokémon turned feral by this twisted world.

I reeled back, shock and pain coursing through me. I had almost become what I hated the most: someone twisted beyond repair by their circumstances. I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. "Leave, Dusknoir. Now. Or I will not be able to stop myself from killing you and every one of your Sableye." I said in a dangerous voice. For once, Dusknoir did not laugh, nor did he make a smart comment. He took me for my word; and signaled to the Sableye to leave.

Right before he left, too, he looked back at me and said quietly, "It was an accident… this wasn't supposed to happen." My eyes flashed and I turned my head.

"Perhaps it was an accident; but it still happened. And I will never forgive or forget. Remember that, Dusknoir. You have made an eternal enemy of me today." I said, and Dusknoir nodded. Then he floated out the door, and he was gone. I turned to my mom desperately. Grovyle had taken the knife out of her back and had already bound the wound. I nodded in wordless thanks to him, and he looked at me with sad, sad eyes.

"You know, Haley," he said gently. "This is a mortal wound." I looked at him, eyes full of tears.

"I know." I said, and looked at my mom. Her eyes were watching me sadly.

"Haley… Do not become enamored with revenge." She pleaded. "Don't give up the mission in order to take revenge. Let it go; it was meant to happen… nothing could have changed what happened today. Please, Haley… My last wish is for you to restore Time to this planet. Make sure nothing like this dark world ever happens again. Promise me." she whispered, her voice dying. I started crying.

"Yes, mom… yes, mommy. I promise." I said in a baby voice. "I will, mommy, I will!" She hugged me one last time.

"Will you sing me to the stars, Haley?" she asked. I nodded.

"Yes…" It was an ancient tradition among humans… that your family sung you to the stars when you died. And now I would be doing the ritual for my mother… I had thought that if I had to do it, that it would be a long way from today.

"Fly, fly little wing  
>Fly beyond imagining<br>The softest cloud, the whitest dove  
>Upon the wind of Heaven's love<br>Past the planets and the stars  
>Leave this lonely world of ours<br>Escape the sorrow and the pain  
>And fly again<p>

"Fly, fly precious one

Your endless journey has begun

Take your gentle happiness

Far too beautiful for this

Cross over to the other shore

There is peace forever more

But hold this mem'ry bittersweet

Until we meet

"Fly, fly do not fear

Don't waste a breath, don't shed a tear

Your heart is pure, your soul is free

Be on your way, don't wait for me

Above the universe you'll climb

On beyond the hands of time

The moon will rise, the sun will set

But I won't forget

"Fly, fly little wing

Fly where only angels sing

Fly away, the time is right

Go now, find the light"

I cried as my mom took her last breath and her spirit left; leaving her body behind forever. Grovyle came over to me and let me hug him, let me cry on him. I had never known true misery until that day.

End Part 1: The Betrayal

**Author's note: Ok, you guys want to kill me now, right?  
>Haley: How could you? She was my mother!<br>Grovyle: Hey, hey, hey, Haley…. Calm down, calm down. (shoots a glare at FD)**

**FD: Sorry, sorry, sorry! It needed to happen! Stop shooting at me! (Hides under bulletproof table) Please leave a contribution – (breaks off as a rocket hits her table) –in the little box! AHHH! SAVE ME DUSKNOIR!  
>*Please note that 'Fly' does not belong to me; rather to Celine Dion and whoever wrote the words*<strong>

**Extra #13: Dudes, really? An extra on **_**this**_** chapter? Naww, I've got a whole extra chapter for next time; **_**that**_** will by extra #13. Don't kill me please…**


	16. Extra  13: How could this happen to me?

**Author's Note:  
>Grovyle: So this chapter is Extra # 13; it's a song-based chapter, like last time. Enjoy some angst!<strong>

Extra # 13: How Could this Happen to Me?

I stared blankly at the corner. Grovyle and I had just finished burying my mom. The Council members of the PIT had arrived last night and had paid their respects before we buried her. Now I was attracting sympathetic looks and pity was directed at me, but I didn't care. I didn't care about anything anymore. All I could think was, "She's dead."

I heard a rustle of movement as someone entered the room. Though I didn't look up, I knew it was Grovyle. No one else would have been so loud. The others had been tip-toeing around me, and when they spoke to me they spoke quietly, as if I was going to fall apart at the slightest loud noise.

"Are you Ok, Haley?" Grovyle asked, voice concerned. He wasn't treating me like the other members of the PIT but he sounded just as worried as the rest of them. I looked up at him, my eyes sad.

"I just… I can't believe she's really dead. Oh great Arceus, this is all my fault." Grovyle's worried look instantly morphed to angry.

"This is NOT your fault! This is Dusknoir's fault and you know it, Haley!" He said, but I wasn't listening to him. "Haley? Haley? Are you listening to me?"

I looked away from him, thinking of how I could describe my feelings to him. Then a song popped into my head. Yes, that is exactly what I feel! I turned back to him and began to sing.

"I open my eyes, I try to see but I'm blinded by the white light. I can't remember how, I can't remember why… I'm lying here tonight. And I can't STAND the pay-ain. And I can't MAKE it go a-way. No I can't STAND the pay-ain."

I continued, "How could this happen to me? I've made my mistakes, got nowhere to run. The night goes on as I'm fading away… I'm sick of this life. I just wanna scream, how could this happen to me?" Grovyle looked shocked. There was more movement as the members of the PIT came in, looking for the source of the heart-broken singing. I ignored them and kept singing.

"Everybody's screaming," I sang, looking around at the PIT members. "I try to make a sound but no one hears me." They looked away, perhaps ashamed. "I'm slippin' off the edge; I'm hangin' by a thread; I wanna start this over aga-hen. So I try to hold, onto a time when, nothin' mattered. And I can't explay-ain, what happened. And I can't… erase the things that I've done. No I ca-an't. How could this happen to me? I've made my mistakes, got nowhere to run! The night goes on as I'm fading away… I'm sick of this life. I just wanna scream, how could this happen to me?" I bowed my head. "I've made my mistakes, got nowhere to run. The night goes on as I'm fading away… I'm sick of this life. I just wanna scream, how could this happen to me?" I didn't look at anyone as I ran out of the room, out of my old house, and up to a tall cliff.

"Haley, don't go!" I heard Grovyle call after me. I stood on the cliff's edge, and Grovyle came running up.

"I'm sorry, Grovyle. I can't go on like this. Not with this over my head."

"Haley, don't be stupid!" He said, panicking at seeing me so close to the dangerous ledge.

"Stupid? I'm not being stupid. I'm correcting what should have happened. _I_ should have died there, not my mom. If I hadn't ran away, none of this would have happened. Great Arceus, I hate Dusknoir so much. It's all his fault." I said, more to myself than Grovyle.

"Exactly! It's Dusknoir's fault. Instead of giving up your life for nothing, why don't you give up your life by doing what your mom wanted, and at the same time, getting revenge on Dusknoir for ruining our lives!" I looked at him, comprehension dawning on my face.

"You're right, Grovyle. The thing that scares Dusknoir more than anything is disappearing. So if I fix time… I'll die _and_ Dusknoir will pay for what he did." My eyes sparkled. I swept Grovyle up in a hug. "Thank you, Grovyle!" He grunted.

"…Can't…Breathe…" I dropped him.

"Ooops; sorry," I laughed, and we went back down the hill.

**Author's Note:  
>Grovyle: That is not really going to happen in my story; but FD wanted to write it; so it's an extra scene… Hope you enjoyed <strong>

**(FD is still hiding under bulletproof table) Please leave a contribution in the little box. And sent me some food!**

**Grovyle: Never! After you killed Haley's mother? Never!**


	17. Chapter 16: The Second Time Gear

**Author's Note: (Is still hiding under bullet-proof shield) Ok, the story is half-way over! Onto Part 2! Also, will someone please send me cyber cookies? I'm getting hungry.  
>Haley: Never, you fiend! I'll eat them in front of you! (Ohm-nom-nom-nom-nom-nom-nom-nom)<br>FD: (looks longingly at the cookies) you know, the difference between 'fiend' and 'friend' is only one letter! I could easily be the latter!  
>Haley: (looks disgustedly at FD) why are you repeating words that came from the devil in the Last Apprentice series? That's sick!<br>FD: Aww man, you knew about that? But I just want some cookies! Pleeeeeaase?  
>Haley: NEVER!<strong>

**Grovyle: Ugh; I guess I'll do the **_**real**_** author's note… Flying Dragonite does not own Pokémon or any other references she may decide to put in the chapter. Oh, and FD wants me to tell you all she's really sorry about killing Haley's mom.**

Part 2: The Mission

Chapter 16: The Second Time Gear

I looked around the seemingly abandoned final cavern inside Limestone Cavern. It had taken Grovyle and me _three days_ to solve the puzzle to get in here… the longest it had ever taken us to traverse a dungeon. Thankfully, the pokémon in Limestone Cavern were not as twisted and dark as most pokémon; and they were relatively weak pokémon, easily dispatched by my Shadow Claw, or Grovyle's Leaf Blade. Yes, I had actually learned Shadow Claw by myself; no TM bracelet needed. My hatred for this darkness and for Dusknoir made it possible for me to focus that negative energy into my claws, thus producing a rather powerful Shadow Claw attack.

It had been two months since that terrible day… since my mother died. The first month we had been too occupied to search for Time Gears; I mourned for a whole week, not responding to anyone, just keeping watch over my mother's body. Then the PIT arrived to pay their respects, and we buried her right next to the waterfall, just like she had wanted. We then spent the rest of the month emptying the house; we didn't want Dusknoir to get it in his head to come back and take the (illegal) books and weapons.

In this last month, Grovyle and I had searched (without success) for another Time Gear. Despite what my mom had said about Amp Plains, we searched it. But my mom was proved right; all we got for our trouble was a battle with a deranged pack of Luxio led by a Luxray. We also searched Shimmer Hill and the Giant Volcano. I shuddered just remembering our Giant Volcano trip. Emerald and Lapis were right; the harder dungeons did release Reviver Seeds more often; we found twelve –twelve! – Reviver Seeds in Giant Volcano; but we used most of them just trying to reach the top. We still had four of them left, plus the five that we had bought from Emerald and Lapis, thankfully. That was going to come in handy next time we fought Dusknoir.

Oddly enough, we hadn't seen anything of Dusknoir in the past two months; it's like he just disappeared off the face of the planet… Hmm, that didn't sound too bad to me. If I never saw Dusknoir again, it would be too soon for my liking.

"Hey, Haley!" Grovyle called, snapping me out of my thoughts. I turned to him. He was examining a Treasure Box. "I wonder what's inside." He said.

"Be careful, it might be a trap." I warned. He turned to me so that I could see him roll his eyes.

"I know that, Haley!" he said, and I rolled my eyes back at him. I walked closer to him, ready to attack if it _was_ a trap.

Grovyle opened the lid, and we both sprung back, ready for attack. Perhaps we were a little paranoid; who could blame us after everything that happened? I knew one thing for sure: I would never trust anything without good reason again. But nothing happened, and we inched forward to see the inside of the Treasure Box. Nothing was inside. Grovyle sighed.

"Another dead-end. Come on, Haley. Let's go." I shook my head.

"Wait!" Grovyle looked at me.

"What?"

"There's someone here." I said suddenly. I looked around. "I can feel you! Come out! Look; we're not here to hurt anyone, we're just looking for something…"

"_I could guess that._" A voice said. I looked around. I couldn't tell where it was coming from.

"Who are you? Where are you?" I asked.

"_Don't you know that? Can't you feel that, like you felt me?_" the voice asked, amused. I was confused. I knew, inside, where the voice was coming from, but my common sense was telling me that it was impossible. Unless…

"Wait; you… you're a Ditto! You're the Treasure Box!" I said, and Grovyle looked at me incredulously.

"What?" he said, but then the Treasure Box began to glow. Then it disappeared into a glowing, shapeless mass. Then I was looking at a replica of Grovyle in front of me. The real Grovyle, beside me, jumped and automatically slashed out with his claws, taken by surprise.

The other Grovyle leapt backward, looking amused. "_I thought you said you didn't want to hurt anyone?_" It asked, not sounding like Grovyle at all. The real Grovyle glared at his impersonator.

"You can't blame me when you suddenly appear in front of me like that!" Grovyle defended himself. "It's a habit for me to attack _first_. If you don't want to get hurt, don't surprise pokémon like that!" I cut Grovyle off.

"Alright, alright! Look, Ditto, who are you? And how… how did you turn into an inanimate object?" The not-Grovyle looked at me for a minute, seeming to size me up.

"_How do I know that I can trust you?_" It asked, changing forms into an Eevee, cocking its head.

"You don't. You'll have to take our word for it. We haven't hurt you yet." I replied. The Ditto changed forms again, this time into a Charmander; the tail-flame lighting up the cavern.

"_'Yet' is the imperative word in that statement. You haven't hurt me, but how do I know that you are who you seem to be?_"

"Who do we seem to be?" I asked, curious. It changed into a Phanpy.

"_A human and a pokémon; partners; on a mission… Am I right so far?_" The voice was teasing now. Grovyle growled impatiently.

"Look, Ditto, we don't have time for this!" I shot Grovyle a warning look.

"Calm down, Grovyle! Stop being so impatient!" I said, and Grovyle glared at me. "But he does have a point. Who are you and why are you here?" I asked the Ditto.

"_I should be asking you that question. I am, after all, the guardian of Limestone Cavern._" I nodded.

"Alright… I'm Haley; obviously a human; and this is my partner and friend Grovyle. We're investigating… _Time Gears_." I whispered the last word, looking around me warily. The Ditto changed forms again, this time into his own shape: a shiny pink blob with two eyes and a smiling mouth.

"Since you've been so kind to tell me the truth," the Ditto began, "I will tell you the truth in return. This cavern did indeed once hold a Time Gear. I was its guardian; though I guarded it more through anonymity and trickery than strength." I nodded, and Grovyle leaned forward, excited. The Ditto looked into my eyes. "I can also point you toward the next Time Gear." My eyes widened.

"You –you can? You'll tell us?" The Ditto nodded.

"I don't know much, sorry to say… but there is –or was– once a dungeon called Foggy Forest. If you reach the end of this dungeon and solve the riddle at the end; it will lead you to a Time Gear. I'm sorry, but I don't know much more than that, other than that there is a particularly strong guardian who lives there, even now, I think." The Ditto said, and I was so happy, I almost hugged him (it?).

"Thank you so much, Ditto!" Then I paused. "Wait… how do I know you're telling the truth?" The Ditto looked pleased, rather than angry.

"You think like a survivor!" he said happily. "You're right; you don't know if you can trust me. Very well, let me show you the Time Gear cavern, and you can decide for yourself whether I am who I say I am." I exchanged a look with Grovyle. Could we trust this Ditto enough to follow him? I was willing to give it a try, at least. Grovyle nodded at me, willing to follow me, if not the Ditto itself. I took a deep breath and followed the Ditto.

He led us into a lighter chamber that had a pool of water surrounding the Time Gear altar; I recognized the altar from my experience in Treeshroud Forest. To my surprise, the extra light was coming from _the water_! Grovyle looked surprised as well. The light coming from the water was blue, and gave a nice color (excuse the pun) to the world; one could almost imagine that one was in the old world.

"This chamber is really pretty." I commented. "The light makes things look better." The Ditto nodded, but its eyes were sad now.

"If only you could have seen it before the world turned dark; it was actually much prettier." He said. I walked over to the altar, my hand reaching out. I couldn't wait to experience the Dimensional Scream again (for once in my life). I touched the altar; and after a few moments, the now-familiar dizzy feeling washed over me.

The light flashed, there was a burst of darkness; and then I was standing in the cavern, staring at another Time Gear. The cavern _was_ prettier than I could have imagined it; but this time I was more fascinated by the actual Time Gear than its surroundings. It was almost indescribable: it was cog-shaped, and in each of the convex parts of the cog was an arrow-like prong, though it ended in a diamond rather than a triangle; these were dark-blue in color, and inter-connected to a dark-blue hexagon outline at the center of the Time Gear. Between each of these prongs was a small dark-blue line; but the rest of the Time Gear was a beautiful turquoise color, and in the middle of the outlined hexagon was an open space, showing the glowing cavern behind it. I was entranced by the beauty of the Time Gear; I tried to walk forward, but found myself suddenly staring up at Grovyle, who was leaning over me.

"Oh!" I gasped, surprised at the sudden end to my Dimensional Scream. Then I looked around. The pale light emitting from the pool no longer entranced me; having seen what it used to be. I looked at the Ditto. "I believe you, Ditto. Thanks for all of your help." I got up, and Grovyle looked relieved. I stifled my reaction; I was torn between amusement and irritation. It was funny that Grovyle thought he had to take care of me; but it was irritating, too. I wasn't a child anymore. The Ditto looked at me with a serious expression on his face.

"Please, do not fail us." He said. I nodded, and Grovyle copied me. Then a thought struck me.

"Hey, Ditto, what happened to the Time Gears? When the planet became fully paralyzed, did they just disappear, or what?" the Ditto looked scared for a minute.

"That… well… D-Dialga himself… he… he came here." The Ditto replied in a small voice. "H-he was obviously n-not in his r-right mind; b-but he had a r-right to see the T-Time Gear… h-h-he took it; and I n-never saw it a-again…" The memory still haunted him, it seemed.

"Hey, it's alright." I said kindly. "It's not your fault. If you had gotten in the way, Dialga would have just killed you, probably. Don't feel bad. We're going to fix time, I promise you. I refuse to give up. No matter what Dialga throws at us, we'll overcome it. Don't worry." Grovyle nodded.

"That's right, Ditto. You can trust us." Grovyle said. The Ditto smiled at us; and we left, exiting Limestone Cavern quickly.

We were about two miles from Limestone Cavern when it happened. "NOW!" Someone shouted, and we were surrounded by Sableye.

"SHIT!" I said, and I heard someone laughing sinisterly.

**Author's Note: Muah ha ha ha! CLIFFHANGER! Well, that's that! So I skipped time, because nothing much really happens in the two months that passed, except for wandering around looking for the Time Gears. Don't worry; I will have some of the fruitless dungeons in here, mostly as filler, so you'll get to see more of Haley and Grovyle bonding! Hmmm… Haley-GrovyleShipping! Or Haley-DusknoirShipping! OR Grovyle-DusknoirShipping! Am I using Shipping right? Hmmm… Anyways, please send me cyber-food; I can't write without my cyber food. (Haley is sleeping right now.)**

**Haley: NOT ANYMORE! (Gets out machine gun)  
>FD: WHERE DID YOU GET THAT? (Jumps behind bulletproof barrier moments before machine gun goes off)<br>Grovyle: Enough, Haley.  
>LeafeonLover: (comes out of nowhere and destroys the machine gun) There you go, Flying Dragonite! Now you're safe!<br>Grovyle: Yep. Come on, it's safe to come out now.  
>FD: Oh, whew! (wipes forehead) Thanks guys!<br>Haley: NEVER! I'LL NEVER FORGIVE YOU! NEVER!  
>FD: Oh dear…<strong>

**Extra # 14: *If you haven't played all the special episodes in Explorers of Sky, this extra contains spoilers for ****Here Comes Team Charm****.*  
>It's on Ditto! I love Ditto! He's so cuuuuuute! But I feel bad for him, the poor dude. He's a relatively weak pokémon; so he couldn't defend the Time Gear with strength… poor Ditto. In the Special Episode in EOS, we find out that Ditto can change forms into inanimate objects (the Treasure Box); and Team Charm and Team AWD are led astray by Ditto. Wigglytuff shows up (So cute) and figures out that it's the Ditto causing all the trouble. But it turns out that Ditto just wanted to make sure the intruders didn't take the Time Gear. But, of course, not even the most hardened of Criminal pokémon would take a <strong>_**Time Gear**_**. (lol) Then Ditto lives happily until time breaks down, and Dialga shows up and nearly scares him to death… So he waited… and waited… and waited… and waited… for someone who could fix the planet's paralysis to show up. And Haley and Grovyle finally get there! Yay! Now Ditto can die in peace, knowing that Haley and Grovyle will save the day.**


	18. Chapter 17: Duel

**Author's Note: Haley is **_**still**_** mad at me… But thankfully she isn't trying to kill me anymore.  
>Haley: You JERK!<br>See what I mean? Anyways, I want to thank everyone for all their reviews; I'm so happy I'm getting reviews! And I am SOOOOO happy; one of my favorite stories got updated recently: ****Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Silver Resistance****! If you haven't read this, you need to! It is so awesomely amazing, words cannot describe it! If you like my story, you will go insane with love over this story, because it is so much more awesome and amazing than mine! Check it out, please! …The creators of pokémon need to make a movie out of this story, it is so amazing… but of course, give the royalties to Scytherider for making it up… I'd watch the movie, whatever it took. WHATEVER IT TOOK, even if I had to watch it in JAPANESE, which I don't understand at all! Sorry, advertising over, I just really love this story. Enjoy the chapter!**

**Edit: Wednesday, June 20, 2012 (I just added some more to the fight; sorry if you thought this was a new chapter! And I got rid of a comment that mysticdragon01 pointed out; it did not really fit Haley's character at all.)**

Chapter 17: Duel

I knew that laugh. "Dusknoir," I hissed, and turned to Grovyle, throwing my bag to him. Grovyle caught it, expression grim.

Dusknoir floated into view, an expression of triumph on his face. Grovyle and I stepped closer to each other, back-to-back. I looked at Grovyle. "Go. I'll distract Dusknoir. It's really only me he wants." Grovyle shook his head. My eyes flashed. "Go! Grovyle, do this for me! I cannot bear to lose you…" I whispered desperately. Though I did not say it, we both heard the 'too' at the end of the sentence. Something in my eyes made Grovyle agree.

"…Alright." He sighed. I nodded.

"Good. Be careful."

"You too, Haley." He pressed something into my hand. I put it in my pocket without looking at it. There was no time.

I stalked forward to stand in front of Dusknoir, outrage and hatred filling me. "You! You son of a *****! What are you doing here?" A smirk flashed across Dusknoir's face.

"My, my, my, Haley. You've grown quite vulgar in your speech." He said calmly.

"Go to hell!" I spat, and Dusknoir chuckled.

"We _are_ in hell, Haley!" Grovyle said. I shot a glare at him before returning my attention to Dusknoir, who was beginning to speak.

"Why do you continue this folly?" Dusknoir asked, no longer sounding amused. "I would _think_ that losing your mother would make you think twice." I was so angry in that second that I almost forgot my plan and attacked him right then and there, but I stopped myself just in time.

"How dare you?" I shrieked, my voice traveling up two octaves and making everyone but me wince. I drew my sword. "I challenge you, Dusknoir! You killed my mother and countless other pokémon, upholding Dialga's reign! This stops now, when I defeat you!" I swished my blade. "So?"

Dusknoir laughed. "If you wish to die, then so be it!" he said. He turned to one of his Sableye. "Thyst, retrieve my sword. This will be a laugh." The other Sableye tittered unpleasantly. The said Sableye started in surprise and then ran off, followed by the jeers from the other Sableye. Odd. But I had no time to dwell on oddities. I needed to fully concentrate on the duel.

I gave Grovyle a significant look. He didn't look happy, but he nodded. The Sableye came back with a glowing black sword. I recognized it. "So, you took your sword back, then?" Dusknoir sneered.

"Just get on with it, Haley!" Grovyle said from behind me. Dusknoir laughed and floated closer, his sword held at the ready. For a minute, both of us just stared each other down. Then I lashed my sword forward, and Dusknoir blocked it with his own blade. There was the ring of metal on metal as our swords collided.

Then I blocked a strike from Dusknoir, and the fight grew fierce. I was dodging and lashing out with my blade, as was Dusknoir, but neither of us could hit the other. Dusknoir growled in frustration, and I laughed. I could tell that he had not been expecting me to be so good at the blade. Suddenly there was a flash of blinding light from behind me. I heard the telltale sound of a blade whirling through the air, and I brought my sword up, barely blocking Dusknoir's sword from cutting open my other arm.

When the light cleared, Grovyle was nowhere to be seen. I sighed in relief, and the Sableye shrieked in outrage. Dusknoir glared, first at the spot where Grovyle had been, and then at me. Then he spat at the Sableye, "Six of you go after him and do not come back unless you have him captured!" six Sableye immediately peeled off, and Dusknoir turned his gaze back to me, murder in his gaze.

"Grovyle may have bought himself some time; but you will die, here and now, Haley." He swore.

"Don't be so sure of yourself, Dusknoir!" I said, and our fight continued.

I slashed at Dusknoir, and he floated back quickly, and brought his own sword up to meet mine, nearly throwing the sword out of my grasp. I was thrown to my left side by the clash of our blades, and Dusknoir swept his sword through the air at my side, trying to throw me off-balance. He needn't have bothered; I was already off-balance. I ducked, trying to avoid the blade, and I tripped, rolling on the ground.

Dusknoir's sword flashed down at my stomach, and I brought my blade up, trying to protect it, and knocked it out of the way just enough to stop my stomach from being slashed open. Instead, his sword cut through my leg, and I yelled in pain. But to stay put was to die. So I forced myself to my feet again, hissing as pain lanced through my right leg. I ran forward, slicing my sword aggressively, knocking aside Dusknoir's sword and cutting him across his tail, making him wince but not cry out.

We fell into a rhythm of circling for a few minutes, and then one of us lashing out with our blades; which the other one would try to knock it aside. Before long, both of us were covered in small cuts. I had a slash on my left arm and many cuts on my legs. My wrist was aching from fighting so long, and it had gotten wrenched from trying to keep up with Dusknoir's enormous strength. I had hit Dusknoir and cut through his body, and a black, shadowy substance was slowly seeping out of his wounds. I suspected that it was Dusknoir's version of blood.

I saw my opening and dove to the ground as Dusknoir's sword swept over my head. I jumped up and cut him in the belly, releasing a cascade of the shadowy substance. It wasn't liquid, but when I wiped it away, a bit of the color was left on me. Dusknoir growled, but it sounded more like a groan of pain now. I pressed my advantage, forcing him against a conveniently-placed cliff, and slashed him across his stomach again.

Dusknoir roared in pain, and I pressed my sword to his throat. "I could kill you right now, Dusknoir!" I hissed to him. He glared at me.

"You don't have the guts!" he said. "You can't kill me. You're too weak." I snarled.

"I am _not_ weak. You're in my mercy, Dusknoir! Beg to live! I want to hear you BEG!" I growled, my sword cutting deeper into his neck. But he just laughed.

"Go on, then, Haley. Do it. Kill me!" he challenged. I trembled. As much as I hated him, I couldn't bring myself to do it. He began to laugh harder.

"I thought as much! You can't kill me. You can't kill anyone. You're too _weak_. I killed your mother, and you can't kill me. How sad." He mocked, laughing. My eyes flashed, and I brought up my sword, slashing him across the face. He jerked back just in time to save his eye, but still received a long cut, deep enough to scar, across his head. I spat at him.

"I'll leave you with your life, Dusknoir. Not that you deserve it." I snapped, and then turned my back to him and began to walk away.

"Haley! WATCH OUT!" a voice, unrecognizable to me, shouted. I turned just in time to see Dusknoir lunge at me with his sword, but I was unprepared, and he knocked me down. He sneered as he floated over me.

"Last lesson, Haley. Never turn your back on a living enemy." He said, and then brought his sword down across my face, causing me to yelp in pain. I was blinded by blood, but I could feel the cut of his sword across my arms and legs. I screamed in agony, and then I heard something land in the clearing. There was the rush of wings, and then I was flying, flying, floating… I sank into darkness.

**Author's Note: Muah-ha-ha-ha! I am truly evil, to leave you on ANOTHER cliffhanger! LOLOLOLOL! What happened to Haley? What happened to Grovyle? Who is this mysterious savior of Haley's? Will Dusknoir ever find true love? Ok that was a bit random at the end, lol. But we will find out most of the answers next chapter. My next chapter is going to be an extra again. And then the true chapter 18 will be up after that. Please REVIEW!**


	19. Extra 14: Darkness

**Author's Note: This extra will be a bit different this time around. I want to set up for a scene later in the story, but it isn't long enough to really be called a chapter. So, without further ado, Extra 14!**

Extra # 14: Darkness

I love the dark. I live in the dark. I thrive in the dark. I _am_ the dark. Pokémon call me the Lord of Nightmares, and rightfully so. Humans know me as the Pitch-Black Pokémon, also an apt description of me. But no one has ever truly defined me. To myself, I am simply the dark; an indescribable thing in itself. I love this world that I've caused; there is no sun to bring about light, which means I can be active for as long as I want, without suffering the consequences of being in direct light.

There is no snow, no hail, no hot days where it seems as if you'd die from the heat, no cold so freezing as to, well, freeze you. The world simply exists. And it will exist like this, for all of eternity. My kind of world, for all of eternity.

Unless that meddlesome Haley finds her way into the past, somehow. Then she'll bring about the ruin of my perfect world. It irks me, that _she_, of all creatures here in this world, would want to bring back the Old world. After all, she is the one creature, besides myself, that _thrives_ in this world, that could really _live_ in this world. But, of course, she doesn't know that. She grew up, taught by her mother, the ignorant fool.

It makes my blood grow hot, just thinking about her mother. She threw away _everything_. She could have been a ruler, a Queen, with all the power in the world. But she threw it all away out of so-called _love_. And I was unable to teach my child what she would need to know, to exist as she is. Haley knows nothing about her past; her mother was too ashamed to tell her.

But I _will_ tell her, and when I do, we will usher in an age of Dark Rule! Once I have Haley's abilities under my control, there would be no world that I couldn't bring to its knees. Especially since she has some of _my_ powers within her. I will give her her birth-right, and I will gain control of her. I, Darkrai, will be the Ruler of all the worlds.

(Cue maniacal laugher)

**Author's note: So, what did you think? Very mysterious, right? What is Darkrai talking about? What kind of powers, exactly, does Haley have? Her birthright? Is Darkrai talking about what I think he's talking about? Haley's mother would have been Queen? What? What is going on?  
>I bet all of these questions are going through your head right now, and I have to say: be patient. All will be revealed in the end. Mysticdragon01, I have put in <strong>_**another**_** cliché, I think. But hopefully it will have a twist (again) that will satisfy your dislike of clichés.**


	20. Chapter 18: Scarred

**Author's note: So this is the 18****th**** chapter! Hope you enjoy it! Oh yeah, I replaced the cover for the story, please tell me how you like it! I personally like the previous cover, but I can't make it blow up enough to look good on this site, so I'll upload it onto deviantart. Just look up pokemontheparalyzedplanet or pokemonmysterydungeon… it should pop up under those categories.  
>Disclaimer: I do not own pokémon.<strong>

Chapter 18: Scarred

My face was on fire, particularly the area around my right eye. Why was I always being hurt and having to be rescued? It hurt my pride. I struggled to open my eyes. My left eye opened, but I couldn't tell with my right eye. I couldn't see anything out of it. I peered around with my good eye. I was lying in a cave, and a Bagon was leaning over me, sponging my forehead.

"Where am I?" I asked, gratified that my voice sounded normal. The Bagon shook its head, backing away, and ran out of the cave. I was confused, and I looked around again. My sword was in its sheath, leaning against the wall to my right. I tried to move the rest of my body. My arms and hands were alright, by what I could see and feel, besides a few cuts and bruises. My legs hurt, but they seemed alright; at least, I could move and feel them. I raised myself up slowly, so that I was propped up against the cave wall.

I looked at myself and grimaced. I looked horrible, but I felt better than I looked. I looked up at a noise from the cave entrance. A Salamance came through the entryway. From the first glance, I knew this pokémon had been through quite a lot in its life. It was covered in battle scars, and several new cuts that were bandaged. It dipped its head to me.

"Haley. It's an honor to finally meet you." It said in a deep voice. He looked at me with a kind of reverence in his eyes. I frowned.

"An honor? That's a bit much. Can I know your name, since you obviously know mine?" I questioned. The Salamance drew itself up, looking regal and proud illuminated by the flickering torch-light.

"I am known as Starflight, and I am the leader of the dragons on this mountain." He said. I nodded my head in respect.

"Then it is a pleasure to meet you, Starflight. I take it that _you_ were the one who saved me from Dusknoir?" I said. Starflight nodded.

"I did indeed save you, though, unfortunately not in time enough to save you from heavy damage. You are a strong spirit," he complimented me. "All of my most skilled healers swore that you would die, but you fought, and survived. This just proves to me that I was right. You are the one destined to finally restore Time." Starflight proclaimed. I blinked.

"Woah, woah, woah, woah!" I exclaimed. "No one said anything about _destiny_! All I want is to at least _try_ to restore time. There is no guaranteeing that I will survive long enough to make it into the past, let alone put the Time Gears in place at Temporal Tower!" I protested, assuming that Starflight knew everything already. Starflight shook his head.

"No, you are the One. I know it. I received a sign. From who, I do not know. But I know it was a sign, and you are the one it referred to! You are _destined_ to restore Time to its proper place. You will not fail." Starflight spoke so confidently that I no longer protested.

"I will do my best." I said, and looked away from him. "Where am I? How long has it been?"

"It's a week and a half since first you came here." Starflight replied. "This is Draco Mountain, a place long since thought to be a legend." I nodded.

"Draco Mountain? I've never heard of such a place, even in the old stories and legends." I said. Starflight smiled.

"I'm not surprised. Draco Mountain's legend was fading _before_ Temporal Tower fell." He said. "Not that it matters. This is just the sanctuary for Dragon-type pokémon now."

"Did I lose my eye?" I asked suddenly, panic welling up within me. Starflight looked disconcerted.

"No, but you may never be able to see out of it. Actually," He said, looking at my face thoughtfully, "it should be healed enough to take your bandages off." I was incredulous.

"In only a week and a half?" I asked.

"I have very skilled healers, I assure you. And we have better methods of healing than binding wounds and giving out berries." Starflight replied dryly. He turned to the cave entrance and rang a bell hanging from the wall. A few minutes later, a Gabite appeared.

"Yes, sir?" she asked politely. Starflight gestured to me.

"Take off her eye bandage. I want to see the damage done to her eye, and find out if she can still see through it." He ordered. The Gabite nodded, and left the cave for a few minutes. She came back, with a looking glass and a handful (clawful?) of new bandages. She came over to me and kneeled so that she could reach my face easily, and started removing the bandages. I closed my eyes; afraid of what I would find when I opened them.

I heard Starflight give a slight gasp as the last of the bandages were removed. Without opening my eyes, I asked, "that bad, huh?" Then I opened my eyes. I could barely open my right eye, but I could still see through it. I sighed in relief. "Well the good thing is; I can see. But I can barely open it. Let me see." The Gabite looked unsure, and glanced at Starflight. He nodded.

"Let her see." The Gabite held up the looking glass. I squinted, trying to see my reflection in the flickering firelight. I gasped as I realized what I was looking at. I lifted my hand to my face, feeling it. A huge scar stretched across my face. It started just above my right eyebrow, extended across my right eye, disfiguring it horribly, and continuing down to my chin, cutting across the edge of my mouth, making it look like I was scowling. It was thick and white, with pink around the edges. I looked up to Starflight, trying, vainly, to put humor in the situation.

"Well, good thing I've never really cared about what I looked like." The Gabite made a strangled sob, and ran out of the cave. I looked after her sadly. "I didn't mean to upset her…" I said. Starflight looked at me sympathetically, obviously trying to avoid looking at my right side.

"She's sensitive, Haley. Don't let it bother you." He said. I looked away.

"Have you found Grovyle?" I asked, changing the subject.

"Unfortunately, we haven't seen or heard anything of him. But we did find a group of three Sableye, dead, on the edge of the Dusk Forest."

"That's got to be Grovyle." I said. "He's the only one I know that could kill a sableye, let alone three of them." Starflight nodded.

"But we haven't heard anything else of him. Do you know where he would've gone?" I shook my head.

"There are too many possibilities, and he is sure to think that I am dead." I replied. "I need to go out myself and look for him." I looked straight into Starflight's eyes. "Thank you for getting me out of that scrape; but I cannot let you help me any more than what you've already done. I can't put your dragons in danger, Starflight. I must leave immediately."

"Haley, no." Starflight said seriously. "I am already in danger of Dusknoir. He hates me; wants me dead. He's been searching for me for years, and he hasn't found me yet."

"He's got double the reason to find you now!" I snapped. Starflight began to protest again, but I cut him off. "No! I will NOT have another person die for me!" I said, and forced myself to my feet, wincing in pain. Starflight seemed very surprised and moved as if to help me, but at that moment a Garchomp rushed into the cave.

"Starflight! An army led by the Sableye and Dusknoir are approaching from the South! The Drac Advisory wants a meeting, now!" he said hurriedly, looking panicked. Starflight's gaze darkened.

"You see?" I challenged. "I've brought destruction upon your mountain! I have to leave before I cause any deaths!" I said. Starflight tossed his head.

"You are not sacrificing yourself for us, Haley! You are too important! Besides, this is not the time! We must meet with my advisors, discuss what to do…" he led the way out of the cave. I hurried as fast as I could, half-blinded by my eye and still weary from my wounds.

**Author's Note: Sooooo, Haley is scarred for life, and that wound is pretty bad. She'll never see out of that eye the same again; the scar holds the eye half-way closed. I hate to do that to her, but it was kind of unavoidable. She's not a super-human, and no one could escape a wound like that without scarring, even with good healing. But at least I didn't blind her completely, like I was tempted to…**

**Extra # 15: This one is about Starflight! I love Starflight…**

**Starflight is one of the few pokémon that survived the collapse of temporal tower. (He is a dragon type pokémon, so he can live a long time.) He was Primal Dialga's first henchman, and he was very good at his job… until one day he met an outlaw that he couldn't kill… his long-lost sister Moonfall. Moonfall convinced him to switch sides, and Dialga has been after his blood ever since. Dusknoir ended up killing Moonfall, and causing many of the scars Starflight has today. Starflight has one goal left in life: to kill Dusknoir in revenge.**

**Wow, all of my characters have horrible pasts, don't they? Hmmm. Well, next chapter you'll see more of Thyst the sableye.**

**Update: I'm in the process of writing/planning pokémon mystery dungeon fanfictions, where the main character will be a pokémon, and I need OCs. I need possible main characters and scenarios where my team will save someone; so send in your OCs! I'm going to accept people into my team… but I can't tell you the team yet, it will ruin the story. JUST SEND IN OCs, PLEASE! Hey that rhymed! Here is the way to set it up:**

Character name:  
>What pokémon they are:<br>Distinguishing characteristics (if they have them):  
>Personality:<br>History:  
>How the team meets them (Here's the place to put the job if applicable):<br>If they want to join the team (I'm only accepting about 50 at the most):  
>If not, what reward is the team receiving:<p>

Thank you in advance!


	21. Chapter 19: Too Much, Too Fast

**Author's note: Hello to all you peoples out there! I am totally glad to see you all reading my fanfiction. I never thought my fanfiction would receive so much attention! 78 reviews, to this time as I'm writing this! Amazing, guys. Truly amazing. THANK YOU ALL! I give a special thank you to Mysticdragon01 and Leafeonlover for being excellent reviewers and reviewing practically every chapter. Thanks for being such excellent people; all of you! I'm glad you enjoy my story and my writing, so I'll keep these chapters rolling out! So, without further ado (besides the un-needed disclaimer), the long-awaited (not really) Chapter 19!  
>Disclaimer: This really should be obvious by now, but I am obligated by to say this: Pokémon, in no way, shape, or form, does NOT belong to me.<strong>

Chapter 19: Too Much, Too Fast  
>Part 1: Exile<p>

Four pokémon were waiting for Starflight, the Garchomp, and I. We had come out into the open, into a huge valley between the twin peaks of Draco Mountain. They were standing on a huge raised area, covered by intricate designs of dragons and other strange runes. Starflight tried to help me to the top, but I snapped at him and did it myself. Starflight sighed but ignored it.

"Starflight. We must do something." Someone said in a deep voice that spoke of ancient deserts and the wind over hot sand. I looked to see a Flygon floating in front of Starflight, looking agitated. I looked around and realized that I was surrounded by pseudo-legendary pokémon. They were all there: a Dragonite, an Altaria, a Flygon, a Garchomp, and even a Kingdra. And of course, there was Starflight himself.

The Dragonite was concentrating on something. I tried to see what it was, but all I could see was the surface of a large crystal, glinting in the firelight that lit up the valley. Starflight went over to the crystal, and his expression darkened, if that were possible. He looked up and beckoned to me. I went over to him.

"Look into the crystal. What do you know about this?" he asked. I looked at the crystal and gasped. I could see legions of darkened pokémon, surrounded by some sort of dark aura around them, led by several rows of sableye… and at the very front of the army was Dusknoir, an expression of triumph upon his face. I saw all kinds of pokémon; not just dark and ghost types.

There were rows upon rows of Aggron and Steelix, as well as Onix and Rhyperior. There were also many fire types such as Magmortar and Camerupt. I saw no water types, weirdly enough, but I caught glimpses of Meganium and Venusaur. Then I noticed the ice types. Weavile and Abomasnow, as well as their pre-evolutions. This was an army created to destroy. To destroy this mountain and its inhabitants.

I closed my eyes and staggered away from the crystal, willing myself to forget the legions of dark pokémon willing to destroy a whole mountain, just to get me. "I never meant for this to happen. You've got to believe me." I opened my eyes. Now even Starflight was staring at me with open doubt. "I didn't want anyone to be hurt by my actions." I said. "I'll leave now, if that will do any good."

No one said anything. Chills ran up my spine. Something was wrong. The air was charged with tension. An inexplicable feeling of danger came over me, almost overwhelming. Suddenly the Garchomp lunged at me. Ready for such a thing, I managed to dodge, and ran for it, knowing there was no escape. I had no idea where I was going, and I was exhausted already from my wounds.

I ran through dark corridors, hearing the sounds of pursuit behind me. Normally, these dragons would have caught me in minutes, especially with me injured as I was. But these corridors had not been designed with a chase in mind. The dragons had to go single file and the caves confused them as much as they did me, because I took out the torches as I went past them, knocking them down behind me, further slowing the pursuit.

Incredibly, I found my way out. Or maybe not so incredibly. The Garchomp had satisfaction in his eyes as he backed me out of the concealed entrance to the mountain. I looked behind me to see the army advancing. I looked back, panic coursing through me. There was no escape.

"I knew you would find the way out…" the Garchomp said. "We made it too easy for you, see. When Dusknoir captures you, he'll leave us alone. He promised, after all."

"And Dusknoir always keeps his promises." I said sarcastically. But I turned my back to the dragon. "Fine. You just destroyed the only chance you have at returning the world to its rightful place."

"That world is OVER!" the Garchomp snapped. "They don't call it the Old World for nothing! This is the world we live in. We've adapted to it. Get over yourself!" With that, he left, flying up the mountain.

I stared after him, a feeling rising up in me that I had never felt before. Hopelessness. It was a humbling feeling… my entire world was falling down around me, cracking and crumbling in parts I hadn't known were weak. I had been exiled… from a place that I didn't even know. It was strange how affected I was. Then I heard the swooping sound of wings. I looked to see Starflight coming in to land. I glared at him.

"Come to call me a traitor, too? Hypocrite." I insulted him. Starflight just stared at me with sad eyes.

"You will survive this, Haley. I know you will. It's…"

"My destiny. I know." I replied. "Just… go away! There's nothing you can do… Just go." Starflight looked away, guilt radiating from him. He returned his gaze to me, eyes filled with remorse.

"I'm sorry it ended this way…" he said, and flew off. I turned my back on him, burning with resentment and betrayal. Very well. So be it. I was an exile.

**End Part 1. But don't worry, the chapter is not over. But the song I kept thinking about in this part was 'Not One of Us,' from the Lion King 2. Listen to it! It totally matches!**

Part 2: Doubts

I faced the approaching army, braced to die. They weren't too far away now. I could see Dusknoir getting closer. I walked towards him, keeping my right side hidden. Dusknoir stopped when he saw me coming, the sableye fanning out around him. The army stopped as well.

"Dusknoir." I greeted him. He nodded his head.

"Haley. You have a knack for slipping through my clutches, time and time again… and without a scratch on you." He said, a bit of annoyance in his tone. I laughed.

"Not quite without a scratch, Dusknoir." I replied, and turned my right side of my face so that he could see my scar. Every single sableye jumped back upon seeing my face. Dusknoir himself jerked back, staring in disbelief at my face.

I raised my eyebrows. "What? Can't take the sight of the consequences of your actions, Dusknoir? You make me sick. I should have killed you when I had the chance. But I didn't; I showed you mercy. And this is how you repaid me! By trying to kill me, ending up completely disfiguring my face. And you're here with an army ready to kill every dragon in this mountain." I shook my head. "Why don't you just kill me and stop there, Dusknoir?"

Dusknoir seemed surprised. "That's not like you, Haley. Usually you'd be attacking me, yelling curses."

"Would you rather I attack you? Would that make you feel better?" I asked sarcastically.

"Actually, no. I'm quite enjoying the change, thank you." He replied just as sarcastically. I shook my head and sighed.

"Enough of this, Dusknoir. We both know why you're here, so why don't you just get on with it already?"

"Now this is really not like you, Haley." Dusknoir stated, question in his voice. I sighed again in irritation.

"I'm sick of it!" I yelled.

"Sick of what?" Dusknoir asked, confusion spreading over his features.

"Everything! All the games, the unnecessary banter, so on and so forth!" I exclaimed. "I'm sick of you killing anyone who has anything to deal with me! I'm sick of being the reason so many pokémon have to die! I'm sick… I'm sick of being ME!" I yelled, completely breaking down into tears, unsure of myself, for the first time in my life. Before, I had always known who I was and what I was fighting for… but now I was nearly broken.

Dusknoir began to laugh. "So, you've finally realized the consequences of _your_ actions then, Haley? This is what I've been telling you all along. You only end up getting other people killed. All you have to do is give up. I'll be happy to take just you… but you have to come willingly." He laughed cruelly, enjoying my pain.

I looked away from Dusknoir. I was tempted, sorely tempted, to take the easy way out, to give up. But I wasn't just fighting for myself. If I were, I'd have every right to give up. But I wasn't fighting for myself. I was fighting for the good of all… for Grovyle, for Ninetales and Vulpix… for everyone at the PIT… for my mom, may she rest in peace… and for the future, that it could be bright and full of light and life. I couldn't give up… I _wouldn't_ give up.

**End Part 2. Wow, Haley is just having a really bad day, isn't she? I was thinking about 'How to Save a Life' by The Fray in this part… for no real reason at all…**

Part 3: Rescue… Again

'_That's right! Never give up hope!_' A voice spoke. I looked around, but I couldn't tell where the voice was coming from. The voice giggled. '_Tee-hee! You can't see me, only hear me. This is telepathy. Don't worry, I'm coming for you! Tee-hee!_' I blinked. Someone was contacting me through telepathy? Only Dialga had done that… but this voice sounded so completely different that I was sure it wasn't Dialga.

"Well, Haley? You're answer?" I jumped. I had almost forgotten about Dusknoir! I turned around, fire in my eyes and heart, a rejuvenated spirit.

"Never! I can't believe I even considered giving up an option for one second!" Dusknoir's eye flashed.

"DAMN!" He swore. Then he glared at me. "How did you break free?" He demanded. I frowned confused. Then I glared at him.

"You ******!" I said. "You did something to me to make me think those things!" A sly look appeared on Dusknoir's face.

"Well, those thoughts were already in your head, Haley… I just made them come out." He said, eye gleaming with sick pleasure. I swore.

"You're nothing but a…"

"_Now Haley, there's no need for such language from a beautiful young lady such as you._" The voice that had spoken to me earlier rang out. Everyone looked around. Dusknoir suddenly looked panicked. Dusknoir? Looking panicked? This was a first.

There was a gleam of light, and a small floating pokémon appeared between me and Dusknoir. It was clearly female, with long eyelashes and a pink body, not to mention her high voice. "Hello Dusknoir. Long time, no see! Tee-hee!" she giggled, while everyone stared at her. I was amazed.

"Y-you're a _pink_ Celebi!" I exclaimed. "Aren't Celebi supposed to be green?" Celebi sighed heavily and dramatically.

"Really, Haley. You just about got killed a dozen times, you're exhausted from your wounds, and we still have yet to escape from Dusknoir, and you're worried about _alternate coloring_?" Celebi asked, sounding exasperated. I blushed.

"Yes… well… ok, yes." I admitted, and Celebi giggled.

'_Hypocrite. All those things she pointed out, and she's laughing at me._' I thought, but didn't say anything.

Dusknoir got over his shock. "Celebi! Figures that you would show up… you always ruin my most perfect plans!" he growled. Celebi giggled again.

"Well, Dusknoir… if you would stop making these terrible plans of yours, I wouldn't have to come along and ruin them for you! Just saying, tee-hee!" With that, she floated over to me, grabbed my hand, and exclaimed, "Time to travel!" A light flashed, and I felt myself being pulled somewhere. The light cleared and I tumbled to the ground, feeling extremely drained. Celebi floated above me.

"It's alright, Haley. You're safe here." She said. "Come over here and you can rest in a more comfortable spot…" I stumbled like a zombie to where she had indicated, and collapsed, almost immediately falling unconscious.

**Yes, I'm evil. End of Part 3, and end of Haley's POV for this chapter. See, I'm evil! Sorry. Really. But you do want to know more about Grovyle, right? I had no song choice in mind for part 3…**

Part 4: Grovyle

Thyst growled in frustration. The other two sableye were arguing over which fork to take, not asking him what he thought. But Thyst knew exactly where Grovyle was. He could just make him out in the trees above their campsite. He didn't warn his superiors, though. He'd be ready, and they'd be out of his life, forever.

Thyst hated every other Sableye that worked for Dusknoir. They all treated him like an idiot, but he was the most observant, and the one with the sharpest claws. But nobody cared. They all ignored him or made fun of him. It made his blood boil, especially because he couldn't fight back, or Dusknoir would kill him.

But now he would get his revenge. He marked the tree gecko pokémon moving in the tree. By the looks of it, Grovyle was getting ready to attack. Then there was a flash of green as he bolted from the tree, the leaves on his wrists glowing in the _Leaf Blade_ attack. Thyst sidestepped the sableye that flew towards him. Then he leapt upon his companion, using his fury swipes to subdue it.

"What do you think you are doing?" It hissed at him.

"Taking my revenge." Thyst replied, and then finished it off with a well-placed swipe across the neck. Then he jumped of the corpse, seeing Grovyle finish off the other Sableye. Grovyle eyed him.

"Why did you attack your companion, Sableye?" he demanded roughly. Thyst almost bristled in indignation, but then he reminded himself that to Grovyle, Thyst was nothing more than another Sableye ready to kill him.

"I took revenge for what they did to me for all the years I've worked in Dialga's service." Thyst replied honestly. Grovyle stared at him. Then he lunged, leaves glowing. Thyst jumped backward, trying to escape.

He just managed to dodge, and then he ran for his life, not looking back. He couldn't hear the sounds of pursuit, but he knew that Grovyle could travel as fast and as silently as he wanted to. Sure enough, the tree-gecko pokémon landed in front of him, knocking him down and cutting his stomach open with his _leaf blade_.

"Goodbye scum." Grovyle hissed to him, and leapt off into the forest.

Weirdly enough, Thyst didn't feel anger or sorrow that his life was ending. In fact, he kind of felt… _grateful_ to Grovyle, for ending his life. Now he would no longer have to suffer this world of darkness… and that's when he understood.

He finally understood why Grovyle and Haley kept fighting the overwhelming odds stacked against them. They were fighting for the future… that no one else would have to suffer this world of darkness. And in the process, spared themselves from having to live a life in this dark world. As Thyst took his last, rasping breaths… he understood, and he wept for all the lives he had taken on his road to avoid self-destruction. For in the end, he finally realized, it did not matter… all roads had led to his eventual death. Better to fight for good and die for good than to live and die in evil… for evil gave no rewards.

It was these last thoughts, perhaps, that saved his soul. It had been a long, hard road for him, but Thyst had changed from the self-serving, evil, Dusknoir-loving sableye he had been. Thyst closed his eyes for the last time, but he could see a light behind them. He was floating towards the light when a force jerked him back. He turned to see a dark shadow dragging him into a dark hole. He struggled and cried out.

"What-" he tried to ask, but no words came out… he was forced to scream in silence as the shadow dragged him closer and closer to the hole, and he imagined that he heard the sounds of agonized screams coming from it. Then, incredibly, a figure wreathed with light came charging from the light and forced the shadow back. The shadow hissed and fell into the hole, vanishing.

The light-figure came towards Thyst, and he shook with fear, wondering what would happen now. But it bowed its head, and suddenly Thyst could see clearly. The light-figure was none other than… the creator of the worlds… and Thyst knew that he was safe… forever.

**End Part 4, and the end of this chapter. I wanted to give some hope to the end… and I thought that **_**someone**_** deserved a good ending… even if it wasn't exactly the way he expected it. So Thyst's story is at an end… he was important because of his last moments of realization. Don't you just wish that you could have a revelation like that? No just kidding… because then you would have to admit that you were wrong before… ya, I'm tired give me a break…  
>Now, I know I said in one of the previous extras that the sableye numbers were down to about twenty; but I was talking about <strong>_**that**_** clan in particular… no reason that Dialga couldn't find more sableye.  
>Speaking of extras, I don't really have one for this chapter, sorry… I kind of ran out of characters or strange events… wait… CELEBI! But I want her story to come later… in another chapter. So no extra this chappie, sorry! <strong>

**So… onto other things. Again, I want OCs, please! The OCs I want are for my sequel to this story. Haley is going to be a pokémon with a partner, and they're going to have a team… The name is going to be either Oublié or Elpis. (If anyone can guess what they mean/why that name, I'll give a cookie!) Here is the (updated) format I would like you to use:**

Character name:  
>What pokémon they are:<br>Distinguishing characteristics (if they have them):  
>Personality:<br>History:  
>How the team meets them (Here's the place to put the job if applicable):<br>If they want to join the team (I'm only accepting about 50 at the most):  
>If not, what reward is the team receiving:<p>

**Thank you in advance! Hope you enjoyed the chapter!**


	22. Chapter 20: Beginning of the End

**Author's Note: Ok the 20****th**** chapter! I've got really nothing to say right now… so enjoy!  
>Disclaimer: Pokémon does not belong to me. Duh.<strong>

Chapter 20: Beginning of the End

Dusknoir's POV

I paced, going back and forth across the room, blasting away any Sableye that got in my way before they got the hint that I was in a bad mood. Come on, even stupid creatures like the Sableye had to understand why I was in a bad mood! How many times now had this mere human slipped through my fingers? But never on her own… she'd always been with someone. That was it! I had to get her alone… but how? Now that Celebi, that rotten meddler, got a hold of Haley, what were my chances of getting Haley alone?

Celebi rarely left the safety of her home, where ever that was, but she'd be sure to reunite Haley with Grovyle before leaving her on her own. Celebi was a lot of things, but definitely not stupid. So I was left in a bind… unless I enlisted the help of the Shadow. But I was hesitant to enlist _his_ help. He'd been raring to capture her since she escaped me the first time. But he wasn't exactly under Master Dialga's control… more like, Master Dialga and the Shadow had the same agendas.

I didn't even know what kind of pokémon the Shadow was, let alone his name. In fact, I'd only ever met him in person twice. Both times, he'd been completely shrouded by darkness, exhibiting the reason for his nickname. He'd floated, but seemed to have legs, and by his outline, he had seemed to have four arms. Strangely enough, his eyes had been blue, though the color of his eyes was ice-cold, definitely holding evil behind them. Even stranger, I'd only seen one of his eyes at a time.

I sighed inwardly. I'd have to involve the Shadow if I wanted to catch Haley. But there was no guarantee that Haley would be fit to reveal anything, if I set the Shadow after her. He had a strange way of inflicting a dark, endless sleep on his victims, and he never lifted the state; I'd considered that he did not have the power to do so. So, with my decision made, I sought him out.

Grovyle's POV

I had no idea how long I'd been running. Nor did I even know where I was anymore. I had no sign of pursuit, but I knew that to stay in one place was to die, for surely they'd catch up to me. I feared for Haley. I didn't know if she was alive, or captured by Dusknoir and killed, or perhaps even being tortured by Dusknoir as I ran.

Of course, she _could_ be safe. Haley always had a knack for escaping by the skin of her teeth; perhaps she had done it again. But I feared not. I looked around. I could not see any recognizable landmarks, just a dark gray landscape as far as I could see, not even rocks obstructing my view. At least no one could sneak up on me.

0*0*0*0*0

I'd spoken too soon. Apparently Diglett and Dugtrio lived under this land. It was a good thing I was a grass type, otherwise I would not have gotten out of this scrape. I was currently surrounded by at least ten very angry Dugtrio, but my leaf blade quickly finished them off. I needed to figure out where I was, soon. The Dugtrio were too crazed to answer me, reduced to their primal versions. I shook my head sadly. I hated to see pokémon in this state.

0*0*0*0*0

As I continued to travel, my thoughts returned to the Sableye I had killed. That last one… he had not attacked me; in fact, he had allowed his teammates to be killed by me. It was strange. Never before had I seen a Sableye turn on one of their own. I began to question the morality of my decision to kill him.

He had not hurt me in any way, as far as I was aware. He had probably saved me injury from his companions, in fact. And I had repaid him with death. Perhaps he had deserved it; maybe he would have reported my position to Dusknoir, but I had not bothered to find out before killing him in cold blood. I know Haley would not have killed him in my position.

I pictured the disapproving face of Haley, which was quickly replaced by my father's face, also disapproving. "I'm sorry." I whispered, suddenly agonized. "I failed you, both of you." Then another image came up, unbidden. Ninetales' proud face when I killed my first sableye, many years ago. Then Vulpix's gentle face, loving me no matter what I did.

I blinked tears away. Had I become nothing but a cold-blooded killer under Ninetales' instruction? Sure, many Sableye and Dialga's servants deserved death, but if I never bothered to ask questions, I might as well be Dusknoir himself. I had been blinded by my rage, and hadn't stopped to question the morality of my decisions.

I knew I had failed my father, who had always expected me to be the good guy. I had failed Haley, who trusted me with her life; trusted that I would make the best decisions for our goal. But if I had ruthlessly killed a possibly innocent pokémon? I did cry then, a little; indeed the first time I had cried in some while… I couldn't remember when the last time I cried was.

I made a vow. From now on, I would follow my father's teachings, Haley's moralistic views. I had thought Haley weak for not being able to kill; but now I realized that Haley was actually braver and stronger for not stooping to Dusknoir's level. I made a vow to never hurt the innocent. I made a vow to be a better pokémon.

Haley's POV

I woke up feeling more refreshed than I had in quite a long time. I could smell something absolutely delightful. I opened my eyes and sat up. I looked around. I was inside a tree, somehow built to look like a house on the inside. I was lying on a bed of soft feathers and moss, and I could tell the smell was coming from another room. I got up, not feeling any pain in my legs or arms, though I was unsteady on my feet, thrown off balance by my scarred eye.

I walked into the other room to see Celebi floating over a bowl, mixing something up, humming to herself. I cleared my throat. She spun around, giggling. "Good morning, sleepy-head!" She said. I raised an eyebrow. "You've been sleeping for a whole day!" She informed me. I shook my head.

"Yeah, apparently I've been sleeping a lot." I said, and I heard someone else laughing outside. I froze. "Who's there?" I demanded.

"It's alright, Haley. It's only Starflight." Celebi assured me. But I was far from comforted.

"Him! He betrayed me!" I hissed angrily. Celebi sighed.

"No, he didn't. Let me explain. When I heard about the army, I let Starflight know. Starflight knew that his advisors would never let him endanger the mountain for a human. So he pretended to let them drive you out, knowing that I would come in just in time!" Celebi informed me, giggling at the indignant look on my face.

"And I wasn't told this… why?" I asked.

"There was no time, Haley. I'm sorry." Starflight said, coming into the tree. I sighed angrily.

"Next time, _tell_ me!" I snapped. Then my stomach growled loudly enough for the two pokémon to hear, and I blushed in embarrassment while they both laughed. "That's _not_ funny! I'm trying to be serious, here!" I shouted, but they just continued to laugh. I pouted for a minute, which only made them laugh harder.

I growled incoherently and waited for them to stop, which they did after a minute. "Finished?" I asked. Celebi giggled again.

"Tee-hee! Yep!" She said cheekily. I rolled my eyes.

"Can I eat now?" I asked grumpily. Celebi nodded and made a dish of cooked fruits, which I hungrily ate.

**Author's note: Ok, this is a filler chapter, just a chapter to update since Leafeonlover really wants a new chapter… and because I needed a transition chapter to finish up some loose ends and lead to the next chapter, otherwise I would have skipped a lot, and it wouldn't make sense. I'll bet you can guess who the Shadow is! Hint: Dusknoir imposter…**

**No extra this time either, sorry! If I did it on anyone, it would be the Shadow, but that would spoil the story; and Celebi, but she'll reveal her past on her own time.**

**Ah, yes… my OCs! I'd forgotten… So. The OCs I want are for my sequel to this story. Haley is going to be a pokémon with a partner, and they're going to have a team… The name is going to be either Oublié or Elpis. (If anyone can guess what they mean/why that name, I'll give a cookie!) This is the way I would like the OCs submitted, please:**

Character name:  
>What pokémon they are:<br>Distinguishing characteristics (if they have them):  
>Personality:<br>History:  
>How the team meets them (Here's the place to put the job if applicable):<br>If they want to join the team (I'm only accepting about 50 at the most):  
>If not, what reward is the team receiving:<p>

**Thank you! See you all next chapter! Please leave a review!**


	23. Chapter 21: Changes

**A/N: OK I got tired of writing out the whole 'author's note' so I'm sticking with A/N from now on. Or until I get tired of that too. Anyways… I now have a Beta-reader! Wow I feel so accomplished. I never thought that would happen… Hahaha! Anyways, my new Beta-Reader is none other than my (possible) best reviewer, Mysticdragon01! Give it up for this guy! Yay! X claps insanely x OK onto the Chapter! YAY!**

**Disclaimer: No I do not own pokémon stop accusing me of plagiarism!**

Chapter 21: Changes

Haley's POV

We found –well, _Celebi_ found Grovyle rather easily. Celebi had the power to sense whoever was in her forest; and (rather coincidently, I thought) Grovyle had entered her forest not long after we started looking for him. Starflight let me ride on his back, and we flew through the forest. We found him leaping through the trees, looking wary and hunted.

I shouted to him. "Grovyle!"

He stopped. "Who's there?" He demanded, scanning the ground to see where we were.

I rolled my eyes. "Wrong way, Grovyle! It's me, Haley!" I called, and Starflight landed a few branches above Grovyle. I peeked my head over Starflight's shoulder so Grovyle could see me as he looked up. He sighed in relief when he saw me. He leapt to the ground, beckoning. Starflight glided down silently, and I slid off his back.

I had my back to Grovyle, and I was hesitant to turn around, to let Grovyle see my scar. "Haley? What's wrong?" Grovyle asked, suspicion edging his voice. I didn't blame him for it, but it still stung. I turned around, keeping my right side hidden in the shadow of a tree. Grovyle looked suspicious still. "Haley… what's going on? Why won't you let me see your face?" I bit my lip. Then I stepped out of the shadow and watched the horror spread across his face. I turned away, blinking tears from my eyes.

"Great Arceus…" Grovyle breathed. He stepped closer, looking at my right side again. "What _happened_? What did that self-righteous bastard do to you?" he demanded. I sighed, trying to keep from breaking down into tears.

"I –I couldn't kill him, Grovyle." I said.

Grovyle stared at me, confused. "What do you mean?"

Starflight broke in. "She means –"

But I shook my head. "No! I need to tell him, Starflight. Just… leave us alone for a while, OK?" I asked. Starflight didn't look happy, but he nodded and flew off; presumably to patrol the forest to guard from intruders. Grovyle followed his flight pattern until he had disappeared.

"Who is he?" Grovyle asked, a strange emotion in his voice that I couldn't identify.

"Just… a friend." I replied. "He… he saved me after…" then I broke off again.

"Haley…" Grovyle said softly. I looked at him. His eyes were gentle, gentler than ever I had seen them. He sat down and motioned for me to do the same. I hesitated, and then sat down beside him. "Now, tell me what happened." I took a deep breath and began to tell him what had happened after he'd left our duel.

"Somehow, I defeated Dusknoir… I wasn't expecting it… But I had him at my mercy…" I whispered the last sentence. "I had him at my mercy… but I couldn't kill him. I just couldn't bring myself to kill him." I looked up from my lap to Grovyle's golden-yellow eyes. "… I guess I really am a coward, like he said. I couldn't kill him; even after all he has done…" I began to cry, and Grovyle, for the first time, wrapped his arms around me and held me close, allowing me to cry into his shoulder. I was surprised.

Before, Grovyle had always put on a show of indifference… we had been friends, but not like this. I was grateful, and touched, that Grovyle was letting me have this moment of weakness, and in his arms. "Shhhhh… It's alright Haley. You did the right thing. If you had killed him, you would have been stooping to his level. You were right all along… violence is not what is going to end this war. You extended him kindness, and this is how he repaid you… a scar. But that means nothing. Because it will torture him, seeing that scar on your face every time he sees you. Even as evil as Dusknoir is; even he will be affected by that mark of his cowardice. Because you let him live, you extended him kindness and mercy; just like your mother taught you, and he turned around and scarred you."

I had stopped crying by now, and I sniffed. "Since when did you become all wise and knowing?" I teased weakly. Grovyle smiled at me.

"I figured out some things, while we were separated." He looked away, eyes fixed on something I couldn't see, and he winced at a memory. I looked at him, eyes searching. He _had_ changed. He was gentler, but from it, his inner steel seemed to be strengthened.

"What happened to you, then?" I asked him, curious. Grovyle closed his eyes, looking pained.

"I killed a Sableye." He said.

I looked at him funnily. "Uh… why are you upset about that? How many Sableye have you killed before? What makes this one different?" I asked, confused.

Grovyle hung his head. "Because… this one _was_ different. It saw me, before I attacked… yet it did not warn its companions. And then when I did attack, it just let its comrades die, and did not attack me… It even attacked one of its own companions… it said something about revenge for all the horrible things they had done to him… and I killed him too." He looked up. His eyes were dark; they seemed haunted by the memory of what he'd done. "I began to question myself… what if that Sableye had been on our side? Maybe he had been forced to do Dusknoir's bidding… he had not attacked me, but I had killed him regardless. It made me take a long look at my morals. My dad would have never condoned such an action, and I knew that if you had been there, you would have disapproved… so I decided to change." He looked away as he finished, as if afraid of my reaction. I took one of his clawed hands and brought it close to my heart.

"Grovyle… I am proud of you." I said, voice full of pride. "You rose up from your upbringing and made a conscious decision to do right. That is _never_ something to be ashamed about. I will admit that sometimes, killing someone is unavoidable, but most of the time there is another option, and I am proud that you decided to make there be a difference. I admire you, Grovyle. I don't know if I could have made the same decision, in your place." I said.

Grovyle grinned at me. "We're a messed-up pair, aren't we?" he said quietly, and I laughed. After a moment, Grovyle began to laugh with me, and that was how Celebi and Starflight found us, laughing, holding onto each other… knowing each other as true partners for the first time.

**A/N: So… was that unexpected? I wanted a good chapter… a chapter where Haley and Grovyle got to know each other a little more… there will be more where this came from; perhaps in the next couple of chapters. Please review!**

**So… onto other things. Again, I want OCs, please! The OCs I want are for my sequel to this story. Haley is going to be a pokémon with a partner, and they're going to have a team… The name is going to be either Oublié or Elpis. (If anyone can guess what they mean/why that name, I'll give a cookie!) Here is the format I would like you to use:**

Character name:  
>Gender:<br>What pokémon they are:  
>Distinguishing characteristics (if they have them):<br>Personality:  
>History:<br>How the team meets them (Here's the place to put the job if applicable):  
>If they want to join the team (I'm only accepting about 50 at the most):<br>If not, what reward is the team receiving:

**Thank you for your support!**


	24. Chapter 22: Journey to Foggy Forest

**A/N: So I have to say this: my inspiration for this chapter is so weird I have to share it. It was****inspired… oddly enough by toothpicks, LOL. Out in Colorado, (where I went for vacation) my family went for what is called a Restaurant Walk; where we went and sampled 10 different restaurants… and my grandpa needs a toothpick after every meal; and it reminded me of Ash's Treecko, Hahaha. Which reminded me of Grovyle and I just started getting ideas from there.**

**Disclaimer: Do I really have to? X insert sigh x Pokémon does not belong to me in any way, shape, or form.**

Chapter 22: Journey to Foggy Forest

"Are you alright?" Starflight asked me as he landed.

"I'm fine, Starflight," I replied. "Why wouldn't I be fine?"

Starflight said nothing, but I noticed him glance at Grovyle, perhaps unconsciously. Grovyle glared at the dragon. I bit my lip and ignored it, hoping that the two pokémon would get along.

Our group of four headed off through the forest, on foot since Starflight couldn't carry both me and Grovyle. Starflight walked close to me, one wing spread over my head. I shivered in the cold of the dark world and drew closer to the nearest warm body: Starflight. The dragon-type emanated more warmth than I expected, seeing as he wasn't a fire-type pokémon, but I didn't question it.

We regrouped in Celebi's tree home. I shivered with relief to get into the warmth of the tree. Celebi looped gracefully through the air, ignoring the rest of us as we began to talk. I stood close to Starflight, who had one of his wings draped over my shoulders, while Grovyle kept eyeing him strangely. I glanced at Starflight to gauge his reaction, but his expression was neutral, if a bit confused. I decided to ignore it for the time being, as I was more concerned with finding the next Time Gear.

"According to that Ditto, we have to head for a place called Foggy Forest," I said. "He said that we have to solve a riddle… and that a strong guardian awaits us at the end. So not only do we have to solve an unknown riddle, we may have to defeat a strong pokémon. And we don't even know where the place is!"

"Not to mention that we have to find two more Time Gears after this one," Grovyle added.

I nodded. "Plus, Dusknoir may be hot on our trail. He just won't give up."

Starflight was concerned about something else. "What if that Ditto was mistaken? Or deliberately leading you on?"

I shook my head. "I believe him. Well, I believe that he believed what he was saying. But whether it is true or not, I'm not sure, but I believe it. Either way, it is the only lead we have."

"Unless you don't trust my partner's word," Grovyle growled, noticing Starflight about to argue some more.

"It's not that I don't trust-" Starflight began.

"Then what is it?" Grovyle snapped.

Starflight let out a growl of his own. "You watch your tone, lizard! You have no idea who you're talking to!"

"Yes, I do," Grovyle retorted angrily, "an overgrown Magikarp with wings!"

Starflight bared his teeth in anger, as I watched with dawning horror. "You wanna say that again, you cowardly Torchic with no fire?"

Grovyle's eyes flashed. I looked between them, wondering what had brought this on. Celebi was still somersaulting through the air, seemingly not noticing the fight storming beneath her.

I decided it was time to step in. I pushed myself between the two angry pokémon and yelled, "Enough! We can't afford fighting amongst ourselves, especially at a time like this!" I turned to Starflight. "We are going to investigate this Foggy Forest, and that is final." Starflight's wings drooped and he turned his head, color rising in his cheeks. Then I turned to Grovyle, who was trying, unsuccessfully, to suppress a smirk. "Grovyle, I want a word with you. Outside. NOW." Eyes widening, his face paling, and a sudden sweat forming on his brow, Grovyle wordlessly complied.

I stalked ahead of Grovyle, leading him further into the forest. When we were far enough away from the tree that I could yell without being heard, I stopped abruptly and wheeled around to face him. "What was that about?" I demanded. "Starflight wasn't doing anything offensive and you deliberately caused a fight! What is wrong with you, Grovyle? Surely, you of all people should know that we can't afford to fight among ourselves?"

Grovyle glanced away, rubbing the back of his neck, a sullen expression forming. "You like him more than me," he muttered, almost too soft for me to hear.

I gaped at him, mouth hanging open in shock. "What?" I finally spluttered.

Grovyle sighed. "Look, it's nothing. I was just being a jerk. I get it; you've moved on… I guess I do have to admit having him at your back looks better than me. I can't protect you like him," His eyes met mine, and I saw small tears forming. "You have a new partner. You don't need me anymore. I get it."

I stared at him in disbelief, eyes wide. Then I burst out laughing. Grovyle looked offended. "What? What is so funny?" I struggled to calm myself. When my laughter died, I put my hands on his shoulders and gazed into his eyes.

"Grovyle. You are the best partner I could ever ask for. Sure, Starflight is strong-looking and a bit more intimidating than you, but he could never replace you. Starflight is not my new partner; you will always be my partner, and my friend," I said warmly, hoping to relieve these notions of his.

Grovyle still looked sulky. "He saved you while I ran away."

Now I was angry. "Grovyle, I was willing to die to save your life. I told you to run, and you did. And I will be forever grateful to you. How many times have you saved my life? I wanted to repay the favor. And if I died doing it, it didn't matter to me. Starflight just happened to be in the area and saved me. But again, he will NEVER replace you, Grovyle. To me, you're my best and only friend, a friend for life…. A friend that will last forever, beyond the boundaries of time and space. No matter what happens, even after we disappear from this world, we will always be friends. Together…"

"Forever," Grovyle finished, the leaf on his head perking and his coloration somehow seeming to brighten. "Thank you, Haley. I guess I just got a little jealous of Starflight. I thought…"

"I know what you thought." I replied gently. "But that is not the case. Partners?" I held out my hand.

He put his hand in mine. "Partners," he agreed, eyes sparkling.

Suddenly a loud growl sounded through the air. I immediately jumped to action, pulling out my sword and looked around. For a minute, nothing happened. Then I glanced back at Grovyle, who was hiding an embarrassed smile, blushing. "Uh… that was my stomach, Haley," he said, laughing a little. I slowly sheathed my sword, adrenaline still coursing through me. Then I began to laugh, and Grovyle joined me.

"Let's get you some food." I said, still chuckling, and we headed back to the tree.

Once there, Grovyle managed to work up the nerve to apologize to Starflight, who accepted the apology but still looked a bit irritated. Celebi gave Grovyle some of her cooked berry salad, and he wolfed it down, looking like a starving wild pokémon.

I watched him wide-eyed. "Gee, Grovyle, when was the last time you ate?" I asked humorously.

Grovyle swallowed at looked at me thoughtfully. "Since before Dusknoir ambushed us," he replied slowly.

I blinked at him in surprise. "Grovyle, that was at least a week ago!"

Grovyle bristled defensively. "Well, I didn't exactly have time to forage for food while on the run from the Sableye!"

I rolled my eyes. "Well, it's a good thing we found you when we did. Who knows how long you would have starved yourself."

"So, we need to find where this Foggy Forest is." Starflight said, businesslike, as Grovyle finished eating.

Suddenly, Celebi had something to say. "Oh, I know where that is!" she announced gleefully. She grabbed the map out of my bag and unfolded it, pointing to a place, covered with clouds, between the mountain where the PIT's headquarters were and Treeshroud Forest.

"…OK. Where are we now?" I asked, surprised at Celebi's sudden contribution.

Celebi giggled. "Just beyond Dusk Forest." She pointed to a place on the map just on the other side of the mountain.

"We have a lot of ground to cover," I groaned.

"Then there's no better time to start than now!" Grovyle grinned.

SCENE BREAK

Traveling with Starflight was an added protection. He was a powerful pokémon and had powerful moves. On another note, we were encountering more and more dark and ghost types, and I wondered if, perhaps, ghost and dark type pokémon were multiplying in this world of darkness.

The ground was rough; rocky and covered with dirt. It was darker than I had ever noticed, and I kept tripping over the rocks. Grovyle seemed to notice the extra darkness, too. "Is it just me, or is it darker than normal?" he asked, eyeing the skies.

Starflight looked around. "I've noticed it, too."

I nodded in agreement.

Grovyle frowned. "I wonder why that is. Any insights, Starflight?" he questioned, turning to the large dragon.

Starflight shook his head. "I don't know why it's darker but my gut instinct tells me whatever it is, it's not good."

Grovyle and I agreed, and our little group picked up the pace.

SCENE BREAK

Shadow's POV

I watched the threesome travel across the dark land, though my eyes were only for the human girl. Finally, Dusknoir had let me come after her. I had learned that the group was traveling to another Time Gear location. It would be best for Dusknoir and Dialga if I caught Haley before she learned the location of another. However, their agendas weren't the same as mine.

Fortunately for them, they were unaware of this fact. Dusknoir was under the impression that Dialga and I had the same agendas. All Dialga knew (and cared about) was that I wanted this dark world to stay in this state, as well.

I decided to wait until they were gone from Fogbound Lake. I knew exactly what I'd do… and this time, Haley's mother wasn't here to end my illusions… I began to laugh maniacally while the doomed companions traveled on, blissfully unaware of my plan.

SCENE BREAK

Haley's POV

We had traveled for over three days before we finally arrived at the entrance of Foggy Forest. And foggy it was. I could see what looked like a solid wall of white, wet fog just ahead of us, with just the tops of trees peeking over it here and there.

"Why don't we rest here for a while and eat? Then we can start when we're good and rested," I suggested. My companions agreed readily; we were all exhausted and hungry from the days of travel.

**A/N: Well there it is! Did you like it? Foreshadowing! Comic Relief! Jealousy and Anger! Hahahahahahaha…**

**SO onto OC submission! Remember; I'd like some OC's for Haley's team once she is a pokémon. I keep changing my mind as to what pokémon she and her partner are going to be…. I'm leaning towards Riolu and Meowth… but… I just Don't know! Anyways…. I'm pleasantly surprised by how many of you guessed the Team Names correctly! Oubliér means 'To forget/ forgot/ forgotten' in French. Elpis is the Spirit of hope in Greek Mythology… I'll tell you the story because it's my favorite story to tell.**

**You all know the Pandora's Box story, right? How she was tricked by the gods into opening the box that contained all the evils in the world… Pandora released Pain, Terror, and so on and so forth until only one spirit remained in the box… Elpis, the Spirit of Hope, because Hope could not be released except by the son of man… What I take from the story is that Hope can never be taken away; only given up.  
>And you know, it's true! Hope is the ONE thing that can't be taken from you by force. Only <strong>**you**** can choose to give it up… proving that it really is the most precious thing you can have.**

**Anyways, this is how I'd like you to set up your OC submissions:**

Character name:  
>Gender:<br>What pokémon they are:  
>Distinguishing characteristics (if they have them):<br>Personality:  
>History:<br>How the team meets them (Here's the place to put the job if applicable):  
>If they want to join the team (I'm only accepting about 50 at the most):<br>If not, what reward is the team receiving.

**Thank you again!**


	25. Chapter 23: The Secret of Fogbound Lake

**A/N: So… yeah… I'm writing this at three in the morning so let's just get this show on the road, shall we?  
><strong>**IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT:**** Heh, that got your guys' attention, right? Anyways, I am a writer as you all know; but you guys have only seen my fanfiction! I am an original writer as well, and have an account on Fictionpress: FlyingDragonite15. Recently, my friend Alexa and I have been working on writing a story together… and we have the first chapter done, and an EPIC title. Please, as fans of my writing in general, will you take a look at my original fiction? It's called: The Dark Clouds of Destiny. :D PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE give it a try and leave a review as to what you think! Alexa and I are desperate to know what you guys think! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!  
><strong>**Note: SORRY ABOUT THE MIX-UP the last time I uploaded this… OOOPS! That was my version to my beta. OOOPS! LOL**

Chapter 23: The Secret of Fogbound Lake

Haley's POV

I woke to the sound of a crackling fire. I stretched for a minute without opening my eyes, wincing at the soreness that sleeping on the ground caused. Then I opened my eyes. Starflight was still asleep, curled up like a lizard. Grovyle, however, was awake. He was several feet from the fire, eyeing it nervously. Before, we had just slept together for warmth, but Starflight had insisted on making a fire to warm me up; though I had, of course, protested. I yawned loudly, causing Grovyle to look up at me worriedly.

"You were having nightmares, weren't you?" he questioned. "I watched you toss and turn, and you were moaning in your sleep. I tried to wake you up, but nothing I did worked."

I frowned. "That's strange. But yes, I was having nightmares earlier. But I don't want to talk about it." I turned away, but I could still feel Grovyle's eyes on me. I stood up, stretching, and shook Starflight's shoulder, waking him up.

"Come on Starflight. We need to get going soon."

*Scene Break*

Walking into the Foggy Forest, I immediately noticed water drops forming on my skin. When I tried to wipe them off, they were replaced just as fast as I wiped them. I looked around at Grovyle and Starflight, and could barely see their faces through the fog, though we were only footsteps away from each other. "How are we going to get through this fog? This fog is literally so thick that you could cut it with a… well, Cut!" I exclaimed.

"Do you know Flamethrower, Starflight?" Grovyle asked.

"No, but I know Dragon Fire, why?" Starflight questioned. Then he answered his own question before Grovyle could speak. "Wait; maybe I could clear the fog with it!"

I smirked to myself, knowing without seeing that Grovyle was rolling his eyes. Starflight gave a roar, and three feet of purple and blue fire pierced the fog, just missing me. I jumped back. But when the fire cleared, the fog had not. I glared in the direction of Starflight.

"You just about killed me with that!" I said sharply.

"Sorry," Starflight replied, sounding frustrated. "This fog is unusually thick. An attack like that should have at least cleared the fog for more than a couple seconds! It's like a psychic attack or something. Maybe a psychic is playing with our minds, making the fog seem thicker than it really is."

"Or maybe the fog is just really thick because when the planet became paralyzed, it was this thick!" Grovyle offered.

"Well standing around discussing why isn't getting us through the forest," I commented dryly. "I suggest we just go forward and do our best." Grovyle and Starflight agreed that this was reasonable, and we walked further into the forest.

It was difficult going. We had to travel slower than normal after each of us had walked into trees or each other several times. It was just too foggy to walk normal speed, so we were reduced to very cautiously wandering the forest. The occupants of the forest did not help in any way. Though they were easily taken down by one or two hits, they appeared out of nowhere, often able to get in several strikes before we could retaliate.

"How can they see us through this stuff?!" Grovyle grumbled, nursing his arm where a Hoot-hoot had pecked him several times.

"No doubt they've learned to adapt, just as we have to this dark world," Starflight replied, glancing around every few seconds while I bound Grovyle's wounds. We were getting ready to move on when I noticed something glinting through the fog. "Guys, stop!"

Grovyle and Starflight looked back at me questioningly. I pointed off to the side. "Do you guys see that?" I walked towards it. The source of the glowing was a red stone. I picked it up and almost dropped it. "It's warm!" I exclaimed.

Grovyle reached out his clawed hand to touch it, only to recoil in surprise. "What is it?" he asked, eyeing it warily.

"I've never seen anything like it," Starflight commented thoughtfully.

I shrugged. "I'll just keep it. It's kind of cool." I put it in my bag and started to walk through the forest again, but staggered to a stop when a dizzy feeling washed over me.

"What is it, Haley?" Grovyle asked, but his voice sounded far away. The dizzy feeling came again, and everything went black.

I opened my eyes to see, not my companions or the Foggy Forest, but a 'small, sky blue-grey, fairy-like Pokémon with two gray tails that were each encrusted with a red gem. It had a partially yellow face with another red gem encrusted into its forehead. Its head faintly resembled a helmet.'(1) Its eyes were closed and surrounded by circles of the same yellow as its head. It also floated off the ground, though it had feet. I vaguely recognized it from somewhere, but could not place where.

The pokémon was looking over the red stone I had found, which was floating in front of it. _'This Drought Stone Groudon gave me will prove very useful, should I ever have a problem with flooding in my lake_,' the pokémon mused, seemingly to itself. _'A Drought Stone contains the power of Groudon himself… it can cause droughts. Aptly named, I suppose._' The pokémon paused, seemingly thinking. '_…That's it! I've always hated it when the sea causes fog to settle over the lake. But with the power of the Drought Stone, I can make the sun vaporize the fog! That could be very useful._'

With that, the Dimensional Scream ended and I found myself staring up at Starflight's and Grovyle's worried faces. I sat up, rubbing my eyes irritably. "When will I stop falling over when I have a Dimensional Scream?!" I demanded to no one in particular.

Reassured that I was fine, Grovyle smirked, "When you stop having them?" I made a face at him.

"You are all right, though, Haley?" Starflight asked, not having seen me have a Dimensional Scream before.

"I'm fine, Starflight. But I have to tell you guys about this one; it was very interesting." With that, I proceeded to describe the Dimensional Scream to them.

"From your description of it, the pokémon you saw was the Legendary Pokémon Uxie," Starflight stated confidently.

I frowned. "Uxie? Uxie…" I trailed off, remembering what my mother had told me about the creation of the world.

*FLASHBACK*

_Mom's hands trailed through my hair, braiding it carefully. I looked up at her, eyes pleading. "Mom! Tell me a story!" _

_Mom looked down at me, her eyes halfway closed, as they always were when she was happy. "Well, my little one, which story should I tell? Should I tell you about Ash, the greatest trainer ever known; about how he met many legendary pokémon? Or, should I tell you about Gaia, who saved the Hoenn region from disaster by convincing Rayquaza to stop the battle between Kyogre and Groudon? Or maybe about the greatest exploration team of all time, Team Lucky, with Haley the Lucario and Max the Persian at the head? I named you after that Haley, you know."_

_I squirmed. "I know, Mom. Tell me about when Arceus created the world!" _

_Mom smiled. "Alright… Arceus was the first pokémon in the universe. He looked down at the world and was lonely… So, he created his children to share it with. The first children were the three Dimensional Pokémon: Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina. When Dialga was born, Time began to move; when Palkia was born, Space was created… And when Giratina was created; so was Chaos. At first things were good. But Dialga and Palkia fought over which had more power, Time or Space. Giratina could stop them, but rarely ever bothered. In the end, Giratina wanted to rule over the universe, so Arceus punished him by banishing him to the Distortion World. Dialga and Palkia were each sent to two different realms which would become their own: Temporal Tower for Dialga and Spatial Rift for Palkia._

_"Arceus then decided to create more creatures, in hopes that they would not fight. So he created the other Legendary Pokémon: Groudon, Lord of the Land, who raised the land from the sea, thus creating the continents, and Kyogre, Lord of the Seas. Kyogre, however, wanted there to be more ocean than land. They fought but Arceus stopped them by creating Rayquaza to keep them in check. After the battles they had fought, Groudon and Kyogre sunk to slumber; Groudon deep underground and Kyogre deep underwater. Rayquaza stuck to the Ozone Layer; creating a huge Tower out of clouds that came to be known as Sky Tower."_

_Mom paused, trying to remember more Legendary Pokémon, and continued, "And who could forget the most important, at least to us humans… The Legendary Spiritual Trio." _

_I looked up at her, curious. "The Legendary Spiritual Trio? Which pokémon are those?"_

_"Well, you see, before the Spiritual Trio, there was nothing to live for… there was no point to life. Except for Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina - their lives were important, for they had important duties: to keep Time, Space, and the Other World in check. Right before the three separated for good, they used their powers to create a single egg. But it did not hatch. However, when Arceus created the new Legendaries, the egg hatched. Inside had formed not one pokémon, but three: Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf. Uxie was known as the Being of Knowledge; with his birth came the birth of knowledge and the awareness of oneself. Mesprit was the Being of Emotion - with her birth came the birth of emotion and feelings. Finally, Azelf was the Being of Willpower. With his birth came the ability to act on one's knowledge and emotions."_

*End of Flashback*

"…Uxie is the Being of Knowledge, right?" I confirmed. Starflight nodded. "Well, based on what my Dimensional Scream indicated, I think we can safely assume that Uxie is the Guardian of the Time Gear. And it sounds like it is… or was... in a lake of some sort."

Starflight let out a breath. "That's it!" he exclaimed, eyes blazing and darting between Grovyle and me excitedly.

Grovyle looked over at him quizzically. "What's it?"

"Fogbound Lake! That's where the Time Gear is! You see, back before Temporal Tower collapsed, there used to be legends of a lake, deep within a foggy forest, on the edge of the sea, where a beautiful treasure was said to lie. This mystical lake was known as Fogbound Lake. Many explorers strove to find the lake, but none succeeded… But given Uxie's abilities, I wouldn't be surprised if he hadn't just erased the memories of those explorers."

"Uxie's abilities?" I questioned.

Starflight nodded. "Well, Uxie is the knowledge pokémon. He can give knowledge, so it would make sense that he could also take away knowledge, right? Uxie is said to have the ability to wipe memories… You said that in your vision his eyes were closed, correct?"

I nodded.

"Well, the legend goes that when Uxie opens his eyes, he releases the power within him, and as such is able to erase memories through that," Starflight explained.

"So we're definitely on the right track, coming here. After all, my Dimensional Scream wouldn't have worked unless there was a connection to a Time Gear," I said. Both Starflight and Grovyle nodded. "Then let's keep going! The end of the forest can't be too far off; we've been walking for quite a while."

*Scene Break*

The inhabitants of the forest were quickly subdued by our group's superior strength. Foggy Forest had low-level pokémon; mostly normal-type and grass-type; though the occasional Hoothoot and Pachirisu popped up. Grovyle could take care of the inhabitants quickly with his Leaf Blade attack, even the Hoothoot and other grass types. It wasn't long before we had made it to the forest clearing; the end of the dungeon.

Huge pillars with giant grooves stood around the clearing, casting huge shadows to the already darkened world. There were large boulders of some sort floating in the air, though that wasn't a rare sight in this world. We approached the end of the clearing cautiously. A statue suddenly reared out of the fog, causing all of us to jerk back in surprise.

I inched forward, trying to see what it was. Suddenly I recognized the huge shape. "It's a statue of Groudon!" I exclaimed. Grovyle and Starflight came up behind me.

"So it is…" Starflight agreed, sounding nervous. I looked around, and circled the statue. There was something on the side; a plaque of some sort.

I got closer. "There's some footprint writing on here! But it's hard to make out in the dark," I called. I rummaged through my bag. "Here it is!" I said triumphantly, pulling out a flashlight. I was careful not to use the thing too often, afraid of wasting the precious solar-powered batteries. I shone it on the plaque, reading quickly. "Reignite the life that burned within Groudon… The sky shall blaze with the sun's heat, and the path to the treasure shall be revealed." I shut off the flashlight as soon as I was done and turned to Grovyle and Starflight and shouted with excitement, "That's it! It's here! It's here! A Time Gear has to be here! That's the treasure! This is the way to Fogbound Lake!"

"But first we have to solve the puzzle," Starflight reminded me.

Grovyle smiled at me. "We can do it, together!" He cheered. I flashed a smile at him and turned my thoughts onto the puzzle.

"The sky shall blaze with the sun's heat…" I murmured. "That's not likely to happen anymore… but maybe something will still happen. Hmmm…" Then I remembered my Dimensional Scream. "Wait a minute…" I thought aloud. "Uxie said that the Drought Stone had the ability to make the sun shine harshly, just like Groudon could…"

"Yeah, Groudon has the ability to magnify the sun, to dry up the seas! So if the Drought Stone has that ability…" Grovyle followed my thought.

"…to reignite the life that burned in Groudon! That's it!" I gasped. I beamed at Grovyle. "You are a genius, Grovyle!" I shouted.

Grovyle shook his head. "I just followed your thoughts, Haley." But I could tell he was pleased.

I walked towards the statue, close enough to see that there was a hole in the statue's chest. I pulled out the Drought Stone from my bag and placed it inside the hole. The glow of the stone intensified and the statue's eyes began to glow red as well. Then everything began to shake. I backed away. There was a huge flash of light, and suddenly I felt warm. Then it all faded, leaving the dark and cold world. The fog had lifted, though. I whooped, feeling elated.

"We did it!" I shouted, grabbing Grovyle and hugging him. Grovyle choked, trying to push me off, but I clung to him.

"Get off me!" he gasped. I giggled and let go. Grovyle bent over, breathing hard, glaring at me playfully. "Next time, at least warn me!" he grumbled. I smiled mischievously, then looked around and gasped.

"What?" he asked, proceeding to look around as well.

The strange pillars I had thought were stone were not even pillars at all. They were waterfalls, all frozen in mid-cascade. The water came from above us. I looked up and saw a huge bowl, and I realized what it was. "Guys… Fogbound Lake… it's up there!" I pointed, gaping. Starflight and Grovyle followed my finger up.

"The lake… you think it's really all the way up there; on that plateau?" Starflight asked, his eyes wide.

"No, I think it's in the Hidden Land," I answered sarcastically, rolling my eyes. "Of course I think it's up there, otherwise I wouldn't have said it!"

"Calm down, Haley. He's just surprised, like all of us," Grovyle said calmly. I just rolled my eyes again.

"We've got to go up there!" I declared, and my companions nodded.

_(1) I got the description from Bulbapedia; I just changed the wording slightly to suit my needs. :D_  
><strong>AN: So… that is that! I FINALLY got this out; it was like trying to pull hen's teeth, getting this chapter to get out of my head… But I'm glad I got it over with. And I don't think I did too bad, either. Anyways… REVIEW! And if you want, send in an OC.  
><strong>**REMEMBER TO CHECK OUT MY FICTION ON FICTIONPRESS: The Dark Clouds of Destiny, by Flyingdragonite15!**

Anyways, this is how I'd like you to set up your OC submissions:

Character name:  
>Gender:<br>What pokémon they are:  
>Distinguishing characteristics (if they have them):<br>Personality:  
>History:<br>How the team meets them (Here's the place to put the job if applicable):  
>If they want to join the team (I'm only accepting about 50 at the most):<br>If not, what reward is the team receiving.

Thank you again!


	26. Chapter 24: Uxie and the Third Time Gear

**A/N: So so so so so so so so sorry for being so late. This chapter just didn't want to come out. But I finally wrote it all today; so YAY! I literally wrote it THIS MORNING. How's that for procrastinating? Anyways; this is a Christmas present from me to you all. Unbetafied, I'm afraid, but other than that; I hope you enjoy! Merry Christmas! ….Nope! NOW BETAFIED! New and improved version; just a few grammar things and a few lines added here and there. Wanna read again? Go ahead!**

**Disclaimer: Come on; you know I don't own it!**

**P.S. I love the word 'unbetafied.' It's so fun to say! LOL! Unbetafied. Unbetafied. Unbetafied. …Ok that was totally my ADHD. ON WITH THE CHAPPIE!**

Chapter 24: Uxie and the Third Time Gear

Haley's POV

The air was hot and sticky, my breaths came in harsh gasps, and my lungs struggled to separate enough oxygen from the water-saturated air. My vision was blurred; the heat made my eyes water. The visible steam warped the sight of the red-brown walls and the puddles of lava that lurked in the shadows of the dungeon cave.

The acrid tang of brimstone stung my nostrils, burning the back of my throat as I breathed. My eyes streamed, and when I attempted to wipe my eyes, sticky drops of ashy muck stuck to the backs of my hands. "We've got to get out of here," I rasped to my companions hoarsely, wincing in pain, throat surely as red as a Magikarp's scales.

Starflight did not look well. His azure body, usually sapphire in color and luster, was streaked with ash and he sported a good number of burns. His grey flesh was exposed in places where his scales had been torn off by an irritable Magmar, and blood crusted his scales in these places.

Grovyle looked worse than both Starflight and I together. His usually vibrant pine hue was dulled to a sickly grey and brown-green. The leaves growing from his body, which were usually straight and keen enough to use as blades, were now wilted and curled in on themselves. He had more burns than Starflight, and there was a single stubborn flame on his arm that would not go out despite our efforts.

In spite of these things, none of us complained, knowing it would all be worth it, if only we could reach the end of the treacherous dungeon. "Look! I… think that's… the exit," Grovyle struggled to say, breaking off every few words to cough violently into his clawed hand. He pointed with the blood-and-ash-stained claw towards a tiny pinprick of light some distance away.

I helped Grovyle along, letting him lean on me, and we made our way slowly towards the light, the speck getting larger and larger until we were able to see outside. Relieved, our tiny team stumbled out of the Steam Cave gratefully. The light was emanating from a floating pokémon that I recognized from my vision: Uxie.

Though his eyes didn't open, Uxie seemed to know we were there. He rose higher, the small smile that had been on his face fading into an angry scowl, and a dark, furious energy swept through the small cavern we had entered. I groaned as I remembered the waypoint that we had passed earlier. I should have guessed; waypoints only occurred in the really dangerous dungeons with an extremely territorial and usually very powerful pokémon at the end of it; dubbed 'Boss Pokémon.' We were in danger.

"_**Who dares disturb the memorial of Fogbound Lake?!**_" A voice shrieked through my mind, and I winced. Uxie was angry, furious, and beyond reason. We would have to fight to bring Uxie back to reason.

I saw Starflight's face –jaw set and eyes determined- and I knew that he was on the same page as I. Still, I had to _attempt_ to reason with Uxie before we attacked. "Please, Uxie," I implored the enraged Legendary. "We mean you no harm! We don't want to hurt you or the memorial! We just want information! Uxie, please believe me!"

"_**Silence! All who desecrate this place will face my fury! Leave now or suffer the consequences!**_"

I shook my head sorrowfully. "We can't do that, Uxie. We need you to come to your senses. Sorry about this." I glanced at my companions. Starflight nodded, battle-ready. Grovyle had dug out an Oran Berry from the bag slung over his shoulder, and was munching on it determinedly. I slipped my hands into my pockets, quickly strapping on my claws. I flexed my fingers, ready to strike. Uxie shrieked angrily again and dove at my face, his twin tails glowing silver.

I ducked, feeling the wind of Uxie's tails as they swung down and barely missed braining me. I took a swipe at him, thinking dark thoughts, focusing. The claws turned dark and ghost-like, leaving faint wisps in the air behind them. The attack connected, and Uxie shrieked in pain and shock as the claws easily cut through this skin.

The gem on his head gleamed, and I was lifted, flailing, into the air. Suddenly, I was filled with pain as a strange sensation attacked my mind. I screamed in pain, swiping my claws through the air. They connected with something, and I was thrown down. I landed on all fours, my feet skidding on the dusty ground, thankfully not hurt.

Starflight blew a burst of flames at Uxie while Grovyle disappeared in a blur of lightning-fast movement. He struck Uxie in the back as the legendary was busy protecting himself from Starflight's fire. Uxie let out a cry of outrage and his Gem gleamed again, this time sending the three of us flying away from him. I was not lucky enough to catch myself a second time, and I flew into the wall of the canyon, groaning as I felt the rocks scrape into my skin. I felt warm blood begin to seep down my legs and I cursed.

Starflight had risen into the air, roaring a challenge to Uxie. Uxie brought his tails around again, smashing into Starflight's body with immense power. Starflight let out a cry of pain and crashed on the ground. Grovyle growled and ran at Uxie, the leaves on his wrists glowing with green energy. They formed together into two huge leaves and Grovyle slashed at Uxie, leaving large, gaping cuts in the Legendary's body. I ran to help Grovyle, slashing with my own claws. Starflight got up and blew a huge burst of flames at Uxie, who groaned and slowly fell out of the sky.

We stepped back. "Uxie, listen to me," I said again, trying to sound reasonable. "We don't want to keep hurting you. Just listen to us for a moment. We just want a few questions answered. Please, Uxie!"

"_**Enough! I know what you are here for.**_" Uxie raised his head. He was no longer scowling, but smiling in triumph. "_**Forgive me for attacking you. I had to make sure you were committed enough to continue through impossible odds. Not many pokémon would dare attack a Legendary. I also had to discern your strength. Consider me impressed. You have fully earned your reward.**_" Uxie rose into the air again, looking as if we had never attacked. He beckoned with his small hands. "_**Follow me.**_" I let out a breath I hadn't known I was holding, and glanced at my companions, who stared after Uxie with disbelieving expressions on their faces.

"Come on guys," I called to them. Starflight let out a sigh of relief, stretching his wings carefully.

"I think I pulled a muscle," he muttered unhappily. Grovyle shook his head and let out a growl.

"He nearly killed us, and now he's saying that it was all just a test? Arceus save us from Legendaries gone bonkers!" he sighed in exasperation.

"Come on!" I exclaimed impatiently, gesturing towards the waiting Uxie. Grumbling a little, my two friends followed me.

Uxie led us through the canyon to a large basin, where a frozen lake spread out across the basin. It seemed to be in mid-spout; in the middle of the lake, water spouted up in one long stream. Here and there you could spot a frozen Volbeat or Illumise in mid-flight. "_**Behold the remains of Fogbound Lake,**_" Uxie announced sadly. "_**This lake did indeed once hold a Time Gear. But when time came to a standstill, Dialga came to the lake and demanded to have the Time Gear. I could tell that he was no longer in his right mind, and I tried to stop him. But I was no match for him, and I barely survived his attack. When I awoke, the Time Gear was gone.**_" Uxie turned around and faced me.

"_**Young human, I know what is in your heart. You desire the world to shine as it used to, even though you thrive in this land as it is. Do not doubt yourself. You are strong, inside, where it truly matters. When the time comes to choose between what you know is right and what would give you the most joy, remember the strength you showed in facing me today. Remember what you've seen in your visions. And always remember that it is much better to give than to receive.**_" I was confused, but I nodded anyway. Uxie then turned to Starflight.

"_**Bold Dragon, I know what you have seen of the future, and I tell you now that you are correct in your assumptions. She is indeed the one you are looking for. I know, also, that you have seen the end, and I know the doubts you hold. But I also know that you are the only pokémon besides the Legendaries that can still remember the world as it was before time collapsed. I ask you to remember that time, and when the time comes, remember what is important to sacrifice.**_" Starflight paled. He swallowed, and nodded at the Legendary.

Uxie turned to Grovyle. "_**Brave Grovyle; I have seen your struggle. I know that what you want most in the world is to take revenge for your parents' deaths. But I will tell you this: getting your revenge will only leave a bigger hole in your heart than you have now. Seek love, and not vengeance, for vengeance will surely destroy you from the inside out.**_" Grovyle's expression, already dark with irritation, darkened further into a simmering anger. Sensing he was about to say something harmful to our cause, I elbowed him and cleared my throat. He glanced at me, and his expression turned neutral, if a bit sulky.

Uxie turned away from us, and we all looked at each other. I was very confused as to what Uxie was talking about. Why give us these warnings? What did Uxie know about us, and did he really know the future? "_**There are two more Time Gears that you must find. I have taken an Oath never to reveal the other locations, but I will give you a hint. Find my brother and sister, Mesprit and Azelf. If you find them, you'll find what you're looking for. I also ask you to remember the tales of old, from human times, when we lived in the ancient human land of Sinnoh. This is all I can tell you. Stay safe, and remember my advice.**_" With those words, Uxie disappeared.

"What in the world?" I looked around. Uxie was nowhere in sight. "What was that all about, anyway?"

"Legendaries cannot interfere in everyday life," Starflight said, still looking shaken at what Uxie had told him. "This is known from all the legends; this rule is why Arceus hasn't just come down and restarted time. Think about it; if Legendaries were able to do whatever they wanted, this world would be chaos. There would be no point to Time and Space, because the Legendaries could defy the rules that limit the rest of us. So even though Uxie knows a lot more than he's telling, he can't just tell us what we have to do to avoid these futures that lead into darkness, because it would be interfering."

"So… he's telling us riddles and unfinished sentences to get around this rule?" I questioned doubtfully. "Why would he do that? What's the point?"

"Well, what do you expect? You can't think that he likes living in this world of darkness any better than we do, Haley!" Grovyle answered me.

"Well, true," I conceded. "But, still; I just don't quite understand his advice. 'What is right and what will give me the most happiness?' What does that even mean? Maybe it will come clear in time."

"Yes, there is no point dwelling on it. Just keep it in mind, because Uxie wouldn't have told us these things without purpose," Starflight warned. "But we should concentrate on the clues he gave us for the next Time Gears."

I nodded. "Right. So; we have to find Mesprit and Azelf. But where could they be?"

"He said to remember the stories of the Sinnoh land; the human's ancient region. Do you remember anything about Sinnoh, Haley?" Grovyle asked.

"Well, I know that they used to live in Sinnoh, in three lakes spread across Sinnoh. …That's it!" I exclaimed. "Uxie was guarding Fogbound Lake. He lived in a lake in Sinnoh. Maybe the other Time Gears are also at lakes… yeah, because remember, the Time Gear in Treeshroud Forest lay in a pond; and the one in Underground Cavern was also in water! So… the other Time Gears are at lakes, guarded by Mesprit and Azelf! It has to be; it all fits!"

"But where are these lakes?" Starflight asked thoughtfully. "They're most likely hidden, like Fogbound Lake was. We don't want to look in the usual places for lakes…"

"Well the most unusual place for water would be the desert, right?" I commented. "My mom and I lived kind of close to a desert. She always told me it was really dangerous, but that it also held some cool secrets… I wonder if maybe before she had me, she went there looking and found the lake?"

"Maybe, maybe not," Starflight said. "But without a more likely place to search, it's our next destination. Onward to the Northern Desert!"

"Right!" Grovyle and I agreed.

**A/N: So, um… yeah. I guess I really did just need to sit down and force myself to write it. I don't think it came out too bad, what do you think? Anyways, again, sorry for the wait.**

**Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays, depending on your religion!**


	27. Chapter 25: Haley Recieves Shocking News

**A/N: So here it is at last; the 25****th**** chapter. I am currently writing 26****th**** chapter, hoping for not such a long wait, but you know me… I get distracted REALLY easily. Anyways, we are in the final stretch of this long (for me anyways) story. I know, it's sooooo sad! D: We've got at most 10 chapters left and at least 5; probably somewhere in between. I can't believe it… I am going to finish this thing, aren't I? O.O It will be my very first finished story (at least a large, full-blown one, not just a oneshot)! I cannot believe it! AHHHH!  
>Anyways, Happy Mardi-Gras or Carnival, whichever you prefer! I made myself a blue-jay mask in school, it was so awesome! :D<strong>

Chapter 25: In Which Haley Gets Some Shocking News

Starflight's POV

'_I ask you to remember that time, and when the time comes, remember what is important to sacrifice._' Uxie's words repeated in my head endlessly, tormenting me with the promise of impending doom.

When I had first begun to seek out the future, I never gave much thought to the consequences of foreknowledge. I had thought the pros would outweigh the cons. Zeilia, my closest advisor and the Seer of Draco Mountain, had warned me of the possible dangers of seeing the future, but I had not listened. Now I was paying the price for my foolishness.

Yes, I had seen what I had set out to see, but I had seen so much more as well. Pain washed over me as I saw my brethren struck down defending Draco Mountain, again. It had already come to pass, I knew. After Dusknoir learned I had fled, he would have sent his army against the dragons of the mountains. I knew my friends were no more.

I knew also of the suffering of the pokémon whose homes we had passed. Dusknoir was ruthless in acquiring information; he would drag them all from their homes and kill anyone who would not answer a question or provide a good enough answer.

Worst of all, I had seen my own death. I'd hoped it to be far into the future, but when had fate ever catered to the wishes of the living? I could only wish that my sacrifice would help win the war, the war against Dark Dialga and his ruthless killer ghost, Dusknoir.

Grovyle's POV

Anger washed over me as I thought of Uxie's words. He had no right! He couldn't even begin to imagine the pain Dusknoir had put me through! No, not just me, but hundreds, if not thousands of pokémon! Dusknoir was a menace. I deserved my revenge, and many pokémon would agree with me that this world would be a whole lot better off without him in it! …Not that it would matter much if I killed him or we restored time, according to Ninetales' theory.

I still wanted to be the one to strike him down, the bastard. The many lives he'd taken… who knew how many? Not me, and I certainly didn't want to know. I only wanted revenge for it. Who was Uxie to tell me not to seek closure?!

'_Why are you so sure Uxie doesn't know what he's talking about?_' asked a sly voice in the back of my head. '_He is, after all, the Legendary Knowledge Pokémon._'

"Oh, shut up!" I growled at it, causing Haley to glance at me. I flinched again when I saw her scar and promptly cursed myself, seeing her eyes flash with pain for a second. But she brushed it off and gave me a trademark smirk.

"What, talking to yourself, Grovyle?" she sang. "You know, that's the first sign of madness!"

"What, and you know this… how?" I replied sarcastically. "Could it be you're the expert on madness because you're nuts yourself?"

"Oh, you wound me, Grovyle!" she exclaimed dramatically, clutching her hand to her heart.

"You want a wound? I'll show you a wound!" I growled at her playfully and ran towards her. She shrieked and bolted the other way.

As we ran past a brooding Starflight, who was staring into the fire, he looked up and rolled his eyes, muttering, "Children."

Haley stopped suddenly, looking back at Starflight. I swerved and just managed to avoid slamming into her.

"Better a child than an old fogie," Haley pouted, sticking her tongue out at Starflight.

I looked at her, bewildered. "What's a 'fogie'?"

"Oh, it just means an old person," Haley replied, shrugging.

Starflight peered at her through narrowed eyes. "Then wouldn't it be better to say 'a fogie' instead of the redundant 'an old fogie'?"

Haley rolled her eyes. "Grammar, shmammar. Who cares?" She turned towards me again. "Anyways, what were you arguing to yourself about this time, Grovyle?"

"Who says I was arguing to myself?" I replied defensively.

Haley smacked my arm. "Grovyle, don't lie to me! I can always tell!" she declared. Her eyes turned gentle. "Was it what Uxie said to you?"

I looked away, unwilling to answer. I didn't want to talk about my feelings.

"Look, Grovyle. Don't listen to him," she said, a slight chill to her words. "I know you. Uxie may think he does, but he doesn't. I know you wouldn't let your revenge rule you until there is nothing left. You're not just doing this for vengeance, I know; you're doing this because of all the pokémon that are suffering in this world right now. If you kill Dusknoir, it will be in self-defense and for no other reason. I know you wouldn't kill him in cold blood. He may be a selfish, evil bastard, but even evil bastards don't deserve to die that way. I know it, Starflight knows it, and you know it. That's all that matters. Don't let Uxie's words upset you. He was just passing on a warning."

I stared at her, my heart nearly cracking under the weight of her trust in me. She was so innocent, and yet at the same time, she wasn't. She'd gone up against things that no one should have to at her age. She'd even gone up against Dusknoir face-to-face, what, at least three or four times now, and she knew his evil. She had a scar that impeded her sight and that people –_I_– flinched upon seeing. Still, throughout these dark times and through all that she'd been through and seen, she still had this innocent, complete, childlike trust in me. A trust that I didn't deserve.

I knew I acted differently around Haley. She had a way of bringing out the best in people. Being around her… it felt like I could be a child again, and it was okay. I didn't have to be a warrior around her all the time. Around her, it was like a part of me that I had forgotten ever existed came out. The part that used to jump around the treetops with my dad and play hide-and-seek with the neighboring Seedot; the part that knew how to love, and be loved. That part of me had died, I thought, when my dad had been struck down by Dusknoir.

Ninetales was a good father to me, I suppose. But being a fire type _and_ the leader of the resistance meant he prized strength above all else. He taught me how to fight and to never hesitate when it came to attacking an enemy. It was a kill or be killed world, he taught me. My experiences with Haley, though, were different. She taught me that even though this is a dark world and we fight for our lives more often than not; we can still have… _fun_ and still be happy, albeit in a strange way.

"Don't look at me like that, Grovyle, you make me feel like crying!" Haley exclaimed suddenly, grabbing my clawed hand. Her deep blue eyes were gentle, filled with caring and compassion. "Why do you look like you are absolutely depressed? Talk to me, Grovyle!" she beseeched me.

As I looked into her eyes, my will crumbled. "Haley, I'm not… I'm not as good as you'd like to believe. I know I promised to do the right thing; I decided to be a better pokémon. But… I still can't help but feel so much rage at Dusknoir. I'd like nothing more than to rip his head off and toss him into the sea," I admitted, torn between guilt and righteous anger, a scowl flitting across my face.

Starflight snorted. "Believe you me, Grovyle, you're not the only one who wants that."

I ignored the dragon, searching in Haley's expression for a sign of her anger, her disgust at my ruthlessness. None showed; I saw only sadness and compassion in her gaze. "Grovyle," she began softly, "I don't blame you for your feelings. I, too, am angry at Dusknoir. Don't you think that I hate him? After all he's done, you surely don't think that I would be unhappy to see him dead? He killed my mother! He killed your father! He gave me this damn scar!" her eyes flashed for a moment, revealing her fury before returning to their warm gentleness. "Having these thoughts is not wrong, Grovyle. Dusknoir deserves all that is coming to him. And he _will_ get his just rewards, one of these days. You cannot beat yourself up just because you hate him and want him dead. _It doesn't make you a bad pokémon_," Haley finished firmly.

"She's right, Grovyle," Starflight nodded. "I don't know you as well as she does, but after these weeks of traveling with you, I do know that you _are_ a good pokémon. A better pokémon than many I have met in my long life, even before the Tower collapsed. Rarely have I seen such dedication and loyalty as I have glimpsed in you these past weeks."

I stared at each of my two companions fondly. "…I guess you guys are right. I shouldn't be feeling bad about myself. I… I'm proud of who I am, who I've become. And really, it's only thanks to you. So… thanks, I guess." I gave them a small smile, feeling awkward for revealing so many feelings and emotions in front of them.

Haley laughed. "Don't mention it, Grovyle." Starflight said nothing, only nodding in my direction before turning to stare into the fire again.

Haley's POV

Though I laughed with Grovyle and joked around with him, inside I was brooding. Uxie's words kept floating through my mind. "_You desire the world to shine as it used to, even though you thrive in this land as it is. Do not doubt yourself. You are strong inside, where it truly matters. When the time comes to choose between what you know is right and what would give you the most joy, remember the strength you showed in facing me today. Remember what you've seen in your visions. And always remember that it is much better to give than to receive._" Why did his words sound so ominous? Why did I tremble upon remembering them?

It was time for sleep. We'd found a nook in the shadow of a relatively small cliff, as we normally did to protect us from an outright attack in our sleep. The fire that Starflight had started with a small ember had long since died out, and we'd already eaten.

Starflight had already curled up to sleep, and now Grovyle was getting ready to nod off. I couldn't sleep, though. I kept thinking about Uxie's words. "_You thrive in this land as it is_" kept repeating, more than the other words. I was frightened by them because they were true. For some reason, the darkness did not affect me as much as other people. I noticed that sometimes Starflight and Grovyle would become irritable for no reason, or they would look around at the world with a dead expression in their eyes. But these things did not happen to me - I lived, really lived, in this dark world.

Still, I wanted to change the world because I had seen what it used to be. Yes, there was a beauty in the shadows of this world, but there was even more beauty in the past world. Indeed, without the sun, the shadows seemed to have lost something; they were no longer as important. Seeing the shadows under the sun sharpened them, created a bigger beauty than what I saw here. Maybe that was what Uxie was referring to when he said, "_Remember what you've seen in your visions._"

Sighing, I noticed both of my companions were fast asleep, Starflight's rumbling snores filling the usual silence. A small smile worked its way onto my face for a second, before being replaced with a serious expression.

I stood up and walked away from my sleeping friends. I gazed into the dark plain, lost in thought. "Mom; what would you think of me today?" I whispered to myself. "I'm trying to do as you wished, Mom, but it's so hard… harder than I'd ever imagined. I miss you so much… There was so much you didn't tell me… Like, what happened to Father? What really happened, not that crap you told me about him going to look for a safe place for us. What did Dusknoir mean when he blamed you for his death?"

"_I can answer that, if you really want to know, Haley_." A ghostly voice spoke from behind me.

I whirled around, immediately on the defensive, my hand reaching for my sword. A shadowy silhouette floated in front of me. All I could see of the figure was shadow; no details. I narrowed my eyes, peering into the darkness.

"Who are you?" I asked warily.

The figure laughed, a cold, frightening laugh that made me think of ice falling into a dark cavern. "_You don't recognize your father, Haley? So disappointing._"

I froze. "What do you mean? You… you're not my father. My father was human!"

"_That's what you think, is it?_" The shadowy figure whispered, sounding amused. "_Well, technically, yes, your father was human. But I was possessing the human your mother was… romantically involved… with when you were conceived, making me your father. You have my DNA within you, not the DNA of that human. Come now, surely you are clever enough to put the pieces together._

I was frozen; my arms limp at my sides, my thoughts racing. "Did... Did my mom know this?"

"_Not at the time, of course,_" the shadow answered. "_But yes, I told her afterwards. Once you were born and you showed that you had my powers within you, I told her._"

"Powers…" I murmured to myself. If he was telling the truth, and I had the 'powers' of a pokémon… then it suddenly made sense that I was so good at fighting, for a human, without needing much training. And the shadow claw attack that I could use without the need for TM bracelets - perhaps that was this pokémon's doing, too. Then the shadow's last words caught up to me.

"So, wait… my mom knew all along?" I whispered. "And she didn't tell me?!" Then I paused. My eyes narrowed. "How do I know you're telling the truth? This could just be some nightmare of mine, or you are trying to trick me."

The dark figure laughed again. Then, slowly, the shadows began to clear away, giving me a clear view of the figure. It floated like a ghost pokémon and seemed to have a black, ragged cloak on its body. One pale, cold blue eye stared from beneath a gray smoky substance on its head, the other obscured form view.

I recognized it immediately. "Darkrai!" I gasped, stumbling backwards at its sudden appearance.

Darkrai smirked. "Indeed."

"Then this is nothing but a nightmare," I growled, eyes narrowed. Suddenly, a flash of insight came to me. "It was _you_! Back at the Darkened Hills! _You_ were the one who was attacking me and Grovyle, portraying yourself as Dusknoir!"

"Yes, that was me," Darkrai admitted, shrugging. "I wanted to see what you would do to save your precious grass type. It didn't quite work out in the way I intended it to, but we all make mistakes."

I growled at the Dark Legendary. "What the hell do you want with me, to follow me all the way across the continent?" I demanded.

Darkrai gave me a sharp look. "I've already told you. I want you to come with me. You are wasting the life you have, the powers I gave you, to chase after an impossible dream."

"What do you mean? You're not saying that you really think you're my father?!" I exclaimed angrily. "I don't believe you!"

"It matters not what you believe, it is the truth," Darkrai replied calmly. "That is not why I am here, though. You are wasting your life, trying to restore time. You do know that if you _do_ manage to find all the Time Gear locations, find a way into the past, collect all the Time Gears, _and_ place them all into Temporal Tower before you run out of time, we, all the pokémon and people in this time, will disappear. We will all disappear, because our will no longer exist!" Darkrai glared at me. "Is that what you want, Haley? To disappear?"

I clenched my teeth. I knew this information already, when long ago –was it really only… seven months ago?– Dusknoir had told me. I had forgotten it until now, but it didn't change anything.

"It doesn't matter whether I disappear!" I snapped at Darkrai. "I may be able to live in this world of darkness, but it's killing everyone else! There is no beauty or life for anyone here! It's a dark, cruel existence, and many would prefer to die than to suffer through this life. It's not for me that I fight for! It's for everyone else!"

Darkrai snorted and rolled his eyes. "Of course Gina would encourage the hero complex you got from her. It will take some time for you to grow out of it; but we have time… lots of time." He floated towards me menacingly. I braced myself for an attack, ready to strike out, when a voice called me from a distance.

"Haley!" I recognized Grovyle's voice. Darkrai snarled.

"You may have escaped this time, Haley, but I won't stop hunting you! I refuse to let you restore time!" he growled before disappearing.

The next thing I knew, I was staring up at Grovyle, being roughly shaken. I blinked in confusion, and said, "What on earth are you doing, Grovyle?"

Grovyle gave a sigh of relief, the lines on his face relaxing. "Are you OK, Haley?" he asked concernedly. "You were yelling and thrashing in your sleep, and I couldn't wake you up!"

I sat up. "I'm fine, Grovyle. I just had a really bad nightmare," I replied.

"It was Darkrai," Starflight rumbled, lifting his head.

I looked up at him in shock. "How did you know?!"

"If time were moving, tonight would be a new moon, the night when Darkrai is most active," Starflight explained. "And I saw, before you woke up, that a shadow seemed to be enveloping you. When Grovyle started shaking you and calling your name, the shadow fled. It was the logical choice."

I nodded. "Darkrai seems to be under the delusion that he is my father," I snorted. "He claims that he was possessing my father when my mom… well, you know." I reddened at the scandalized and embarrassed look on Grovyle's face. "He said that he passed some of his powers to me, and that's why I can use pokémon moves without the use of TM bracelets." I turned pleadingly to Starflight. "Tell me he's lying, Starflight. Please, tell me it isn't possible."

Starflight looked thoughtful. "As much as I'd like to, Haley, I'm afraid it _is_ possible. I've heard of this happening before; ghost pokémon inhabiting the bodies of humans and conceiving a child. It's an old legend, passed down through centuries. They always called the results… Shadow Humans. They look like,and act like normal humans but have the abilities of a ghost pokémon. It's strange, though, since Darkrai is actually a dark type, not a ghost type." His gaze went distant. "I wonder how that would affect your abilities…?"

Grovyle rolled his eyes. "I don't think it matters that much, Haley," he said, his eyes softening and a smile playing across his face. "You're still you; just because you might be Darkrai's daughter doesn't mean you're any different. You are still the Haley I know; I wouldn't worry about it. At least, now you understand why you have these powers. I've always wondered how you could be so good at fighting, for a human. Now it makes sense, because you have the abilities of a pokémon!" His tiny smile turned into a wide grin. "This doesn't change anything."

I smiled back, grabbing him in a surprise hug. "Thanks, Grovyle, I needed to hear that."

A/N: So… SURPRISE! Yes, Darkrai is Haley's father. Kinda. Technicalities, technicalities. I love them! :D

yes, it's a little cliché, but… eh. Bet you weren't expecting it, so it can't be that cliché! :D

Anyways… next chapter, Grovyle and Haley have a heart-to-heart about the 'if we restore time, we'll all disappear' issue.


	28. Chapter 26: The Important Things

**Erm… so, yeah. It's been waaaaaay too long. I planned to post this on my birthday… that never happened. Sorry. Well… here it is in all its glory. Probably sucks. :/ Enjoy, my beloved readers!**

Chapter 26: The Important Things  
>(or, In Which Haley and Grovyle Talk About the Important Things)<p>

None of us could sleep after Darkrai's unwelcome visit, so we packed up camp and set off. We were soon at the entrance to the desert.

For a moment, we just stood there, looking out at the desert apprehensively. Grovyle's brow was furrowed, a frown on his face as he consulted the hand-drawn map I had made of the known regions and mystery dungeons.

Starflight seemed lost in thought, his gaze at the horizon, eyes distant. I myself was staring at the sandy expanse before us, contemplating the dangers that awaited us there.

The biggest concern of all was water, of course. In the paralyzed world, drinkable water was hard enough to come by in a normal environment, let alone in a desert. Plus, the pokémon there, while few and far between, were sturdy and powerful, toughened by the conditions in which they lived.

I dug around in my bag, looking for liquids. I found five bottles of water and three bottles of Elixir. "I'm not sure we have enough water to survive the desert," I warned. "How long will it take to cross it, do you think, Starflight?"

"Hmn, I'm not sure… a day, perhaps two?" Starflight mused, casting his eyes over the expanse.

"We need more water, then. There's not enough in the pack," I said.

Grovyle snorted and he looked up from the map. "There's never enough water in the pack. We only have what, three empty bottles? Do you really think we can find that much water before we go into the desert? Remember, Dusknoir is still after us. He could catch up at any time."

"I know, Grovyle," I sighed. "But I still don't feel comfortable going into a two-day desert trek with only five bottles of water. Starflight isn't exactly small, and you know I can't retain water like pokémon can."

"We'll have to take the risk," Starflight declared suddenly, nostrils flaring and alarm flashing in his eyes as he looked over his shoulder. Grovyle and I followed his gaze to a distant dust cloud.

"What is that, Starflight?" I asked, alarmed. I was getting a very bad feeling, watching the cloud.

"Something you never want to meet, especially not alone," Starflight explained, dark tremors shading his serious tone. "Let's go. If we have any luck, we'll be out of the desert before it meets the sand."

"Don't tell me that's what I think it is," Grovyle muttered.

Starflight nodded his head ominously. "Yes, it is. A dark Flygon. Let's move."

I paled, and hurriedly returned the items into my pack and shouldered it. We quickly moved into the desert, unwilling to meet up with the dark spirit. Starflight was right; a dark Flygon was not something you wanted to meet, alone or not. Dark Flygon were extremely dangerous creatures. Flygon are dragon and ground types, and thus very sturdy pokémon. They have considerably higher strength and are known for their signature move, agility, making them ridiculously fast. A super pokémon, if you will. They're known as the Desert Spirit, and protect their territories fiercely. Dark Flygon are considerably fiercer and more vicious. Some even say that their strength is boosted by the anger and hatred in their hearts. Dark Flygon were a phenomenon created by the dark paralyzed world. Normally Flygon were calm pokémon, despite their fierce reputation. They protected deserts and the weak. But when darkness fell over the world, that protective instinct and calm demeanor was warped beyond recognition into dark, burning hatred and anger at everything in the world.

Needless to say, we needed to cross the desert as quickly as possible. We could, and it's a pretty big could, be able to defeat the Flygon with Grovyle's and Starflight's type advantages, but Starflight was at the same type disadvantage to the Flygon, and there was no telling whether the dual dragon type would cancel any grass type advantage Grovyle had over its ground type. All in all, it was better to avoid a confrontation with such a powerful enemy, if possible.

Unfortunately, whereas the paralyzed world outside of the desert held no weather, inside the desert it was ridiculously hot, and every once in a while a sandstorm or dust devil would start up and blow gritty dirt and sand into our faces.

"This is wind?!" Grovyle growled at me during one of the more severe sandstorms. "This almost hurts more than a Pidgey's Gust attack! I thought you guys said wind didn't hurt!"

"Correction, Grovyle: this is a sandstorm," I growled back. "This shouldn't even be possible in the paralyzed world!"

"They are caused by pokémon abilities," Starflight rumbled. "Certain desert-dwelling pokémon, such as Hippopotas and Larvitar, have the ability Sand Stream, which whips up a sandstorm in their vicinity, as they are most comfortable in a sandstorm environment. There are several other pokémon with similar abilities, such as Snover, which have the ability Snow Warning, which causes Hail or Snow."

I groaned. "I should have known it was a pokémon. If we knock it out, will the storm stop?"

"No, it will continue until we are out of range of the pokémon," Starflight answered. "We just have to keep moving."

"We should talk about something, take our minds off the sand," I said after a while, spitting out the dirt that had blown onto my tongue. Grovyle watched amusedly.

"And get mouthfuls of it instead? Great idea, Haley," he retorted sarcastically, chuckling.

"Hey! I'm trying, here! I don't see you thinking of any ideas, oh great Alakazam!"

Grovyle made a face at me. "Very funny. Fine then, what do you want to talk about?"

I paused. Oops, I hadn't thought of that yet. "Hmmmm," I mused. Then my thoughts turned towards Darkrai's words last night. "… We, all of the pokémon and people in this time, will all disappear. We will all disappear, because the time that we existed will no longer exist!" I remembered Dusknoir say something similar to me once, when he was trying justify… eliminating pokémon who were trying to fix time.

"Did you know, Grovyle, that if we succeed, this future will disappear? Or you, Starflight; did you know?"

Both Grovyle and Starflight froze in mid-step. Taken by surprise, I walked into Grovyle, who tipped over. We landed in a pile of leaves and limbs, and I was reminded of that time in the Deep Chasm dungeon, so long ago – back when Grovyle believed I was working for Dusknoir.

But unlike that time, Grovyle helped me up, laughing a superficial laugh. "That's the second time that's happened!"

"Yes, well, stop getting in my way!" I replied, laughing too. "But did you know, Grovyle?" I repeated, getting serious again.

Grovyle's face darkened; a small frown turned the corners of his mouth down and his eyes slanted more than usual, his pupils narrowing to slits. "No, I didn't know that," he replied quietly.

"I did," Starflight admitted, his facial spikes lowering and his eyelids drooping to half-mast.

"You did?!" Both of us turned to Starflight in surprise.

"And you didn't think to mention this before?!" Grovyle growled angrily.

"Calm down, Grovyle. I'm sure Starflight had his reasons, right?" I turned to Starflight expectantly.

"I would have told you soon, but I didn't want to lower your spirits! Things have been going so well, I couldn't bring myself to somber the mood," Starflight rumbled, eyes not meeting mine, his head turned away with a frown.

I sighed. "I understand why you didn't tell us, Starflight, but for Mew's sake, you really should have told us before we found out another way. We're not kids, Starflight."

Starflight's teal eyes turned glassy, and his slitted pupils dilated turning into pointed ovals. "Oh, but you are, Haley. You are both children, forced to grow up much too fast."

I smiled sadly. "Perhaps," I admitted. "But it is not your fault, and there is nothing you or anyone else can do. Besides, we may be young, but we are still old enough to make decisions about our own lives."

"Yeah," Grovyle agreed, eyes hard. "I know I stopped being a child long ago, Starflight; the moment I saw Dusknoir kill my father, I stopped being a child." He turned away, head down.

I put my hand on his shoulder gently. "So… what do you think … about it?" I asked apprehensively.

Grovyle was quiet, his eyes shadowed thoughtfully. His mouth twitched curiously as he chewed on his lips in thought. I was surprised as I watched this –I'd never before seen him do it. I suspected that he'd picked up the habit from me. I always chewed on my lips when I was in thought.

"Well… I …I don't want to… d-die," Grovyle admitted finally. "But…" he trailed off.

I nodded in understanding. "I know what you mean… but you're right… It's the only way."

Grovyle nodded, the doubt and fear leaving his eyes, replaced by determination and courage. "It doesn't matter," he declared firmly. "Whether we die today or in a hundred years –we're still going to die someday. I'd rather die fighting for a better world for everyone than live in this dark, empty world, fearing Dialga and Dusknoir and those wretched Sableye."

"Yeah!" I cheered. "It doesn't matter how long you live, but rather what you do in the time that you have!"

"It doesn't change anything," Grovyle said firmly. I smiled at him in agreement.

"The Legendaries will certainly never forget your sacrifice," Starflight remarked, eyes shining with pride.

"It doesn't even matter if people remember or not," I shook my head. "What matters is that we know what we are doing is right, and that what we are doing is making the world a better place for everyone."

**So we've got some Haley and Grovyle bonding here at the end… :D Again, sorry this took so long to get out! O_o**

**Also; I have updated my profile. It is no longer ridiculously long... and I'm going to be using it to keep you guys updated on what I'm doing; so check that regularly! :D**


	29. Chapter 27: The Fourth Time Gear

Chapter 27: The Fourth Time Gear

Haley's POV

"We're walking in circles, aren't we?" I sighed, looking around at the dark, barren sand dunes. For all I could tell, we were in exactly the same place as the one we were in ten minutes ago.

"I wouldn't say that, no," Starflight disagreed. "It seems like we are getting nowhere, when, in fact, we are."

"That sounds like a cliché line out of some old movie," I rolled my eyes. Starflight frowned, blinking in confusion. I sighed again. "Never mind."

"At least we seem to be out of the dungeon part of the desert," Grovyle encouraged. "It's been a long time since we've had to fight a pokémon, and there doesn't seem to be a maze anymore, either."

I turned my head to look at him when I caught something moving out of the corner of my eye. I whipped toward the movement, only to see swirling sand. My eyebrows furrowed. Had the sand been set in motion by a pokémon, waiting in ambush? But as I stared at the moving sand, it didn't seem to be slowing. Then I realized that it was moving in circles. I stepped cautiously forward, peering closer.

"Watch out! Quicksand!" I warned my companions, holding out my arms to stop their forward motion. Both pokémon immediately froze. I inched forward until I was at the edge of the quicksand pit. "I think we can move around it if we're careful," I mused thoughtfully, still staring at the swirling sand.

"I don't think so, Haley," Grovyle said nervously. "There's not just one pit; there's a whole bunch of them - look!"

I turned my head and looked ahead of us, and, sure enough, quicksand pits dotted the sand before us, making it impossible to move forward.

"This is definitely the end of this dungeon," Starflight stated, glancing around. "But there doesn't seem to be any place for a Time Gear, nor is there a guardian."

"That we know of," I muttered cynically. I scanned the area for something to touch, to see if I could activate the Dimensional Scream. There were a couple of boulders on the other side of the small clearing, and I cautiously moved in front of them, wary of falling into the quicksand. I laid my hand on the smooth boulder, not expecting to sense anything other than its surface. For a moment, nothing happened, and my shoulders slumped. Then the dizziness started. "I've got something," I exclaimed happily.

Black encroached on my vision, then there was a burst of light, and then there was black again. I tried to look around, wondering why I couldn't see, when I heard a voice. "We have to jump in the quicksand pits!" The voice sounded _very_ familiar, but I couldn't place it. Another, completely unfamiliar voice answered the first incredulously.

"Jump into the quicksand pits?! Are you insane?"

"I know it sounds crazy," the first voice answered, sounding slightly irritated. "But I know there's something down there! Come on, don't you trust me?"

The other voice hesitated, and then answered with feeling, "Of course I trust you. Alright, let's jump into the quicksand pits!"

Then there was another burst of light, and I was staring at Grovyle's and Starflight's expectant faces.

"Well? What did you see?" Grovyle asked impatiently, too used to my visions to bother worrying about my wellbeing.

"I didn't _see_ anything," I answered wryly. His face fell. "I heard two people –or pokémon, I couldn't tell- talking."

Grovyle rolled his eyes. "Fine then, what did you _hear_?"

"We have to jump into the quicksand pits," I said simply, smirking when both Grovyle and Starflight looked at me in disbelief.

"WHAT?!" Grovyle shouted. "You're joking, right?" He turned to Starflight pleadingly. "_Please_, tell me she's joking!"

"I don't think she is," Starflight replied, starting to sound amused.

Grovyle blinked, and then dragged a clawed hand over his face. "My life sucks," he grumbled to himself.

"Come on, Grovyle. It's not that bad," I cooed, patting him on the head mockingly. "You could be an extremely overweight ghost with one eye that has to serve a scary Legendary pokémon."

Grovyle stared at me for a second, and then burst into laughter. Starflight snorted. "Th-th-that–that's t-t-true!" Grovyle managed to gasp out, struggling to compose himself. I chuckled as he took deep breaths, calming down. He looked up at me with a grin.

"I'll have to remember that one," he said, snorting. "Imagine if I said that to his face!"

"He'd throw a fit," I snickered. "But you still have to jump into those pits with me."

That wiped the smile off Grovyle's face. "I thought you were kidding," he groaned.

"No, I was completely serious," I replied. "But don't worry, we'll jump together."

"What, so that both of us have to die instead of just one?" Grovyle muttered sarcastically.

I rolled my eyes. "Fine, _I'll_ go first, you wussies." I strode forward to the edge of the pit, steeled my courage, and jumped straight into the middle. I landed waist deep in the sand, and for a few moments, nothing happened. "Huh, maybe it's not quicksand after all," I said, but as I spoke, I felt myself sink a few more inches, and began to feel a sinking sensation. "I take it back."

I sunk slowly as Starflight and Grovyle watched with wide eyes. Then Grovyle snapped out of his shock and growled before stalking forward and jumping into the pit himself, right next to me.

I grinned triumphantly. "So you decided to join me, Grovyle? That leaves Starflight!" I looked at the aforementioned dragon. "Come on in, Starflight! The sand is _fine_!"

"Says the human girl up to her neck in quicksand," Starflight muttered. I heard no more as my head went under. For a few moments, I panicked, wondering if maybe the voices had been wrong, but then I fell through the air and landed on my backside, wincing.

"Ouch!" I exclaimed as Grovyle fell on top of me.

"Sorry. It's dark in here," Grovyle commented as he clambered off my sprawled body.

"Way to point out the obvious," I said dryly. I looked up to see a faint gray light filtering through the sand. "Starflight!" I called. "Can you hear me?"

After a few moments, Starflight answered. "Barely!" His voice was faint.

"There's a cavern down here!" I shouted. "Come down and bring your fire with you, it's as dark as a Wailord's stomach in here!"

"Um, Haley…" Grovyle murmured nervously. "Maybe you shouldn't have shouted so loud."

"Why do you say that?" I asked, trying to see him through the gloom. Before he could answer, I heard a deep, angry growl. "Oh. That would be why," I whispered, my heart sinking.

"Stay here, and _don't move_!" Grovyle hissed at me.

"You don't have to tell me twice," I muttered to myself. I cursed my helplessness as I peered around, unable to see anything. _Damn it, why can't I see? Human senses suck eggs! I want pokémon senses! Why couldn't Darkrai have given me night vision, for Arceus' sake?_ I thought angrily to myself. As soon as I'd thought it, though, the gloom started to clear, and the darkness lifted a little. I looked around, figuring that Starflight had finally come down and lit a fire, but there was no sign of him.

There wasn't any sign of the azure dragon, but seven feet away, looking very angry, stood an armored Lairon. It snorted as my gaze met its eyes and growled again, scraping its foot against the floor. Recognizing it as a precursor of an attack, I scrambled to my feet, ready to race out of the way if need be. The movement set it off, and it charged me.

I dodged to the side, sliding _Dawnblanche_ out of its sheath as I did. I slashed at the Lairon only to curse my stupidity as my blade just clanged uselessly against the iron plating. The Lairon growled and snapped at me. I jumped backwards, barely missing its sharp teeth.

Then, finally, Grovyle appeared out of the shadows, slashing with his _Leaf Blade_ attack, sending the Lairon reeling. "I thought I told you to _stay put_!" he shouted at me as he sent missiles of _Razor Leaves_ at the Lairon.

"Yes, well, I saw a Lairon with huge spikes about to charge me, and I reacted accordingly. Not my fault you were slow on the uptake," I retorted, shorter with him than I meant to be, but I was frightened and in pain. I looked down at my aching leg and realized that I hadn't jumped completely clear of the pokémon's spikes, resulting in a long gash down my right leg.

It was at that moment that Starflight decided to jump in, crashing through the ceiling, blue fire escaping his angry maw towards the now cowering Lairon. Starflight landed with a muffled boom, and glared at the iron pokémon. Fear flashing in its eyes, the Lairon knew it was outmatched. It turned tail and galloped away clumsily from its injuries.

"How did you know it was going to charge, anyways, Haley?" Grovyle asked curiously once the threat was gone. "It was too dark for a human to see."

I shrugged. "I don't know. I was sitting there, thinking how unfair it is that humans have such bad senses, and I wished that Darkrai had passed pokémon senses onto me, and suddenly I could see!"

Starflight hummed thoughtfully. "Now that you know your legacy, more powers may appear to you... perhaps some need concentration and focus to work."

"I guess," I answered wearily, yawning. "Whatever, at least now I can see."

Starflight noticed my yawn. "We should probably rest before trying to conquer another dungeon."

Grovyle and I agreed, and we all sat down for a breather. I passed around a water bottle, each of us taking care not to drink too much. "We only have one bottle left after this," I warned.

"That should be enough to get us through the dungeon," Starflight said. "Since your Dimensional Scream went off, we know that there was a Time Gear here. And from what Uxie said, we know that there will be a lake guarded by either Mesprit or Azelf. Hopefully, we can obtain drinkable water there."

"Sounds good," I yawned again. I leaned against a rock tiredly, my eyes sliding shut of their own accord. As I sunk into unconsciousness, I felt cool, gentle claws swipe the hair from my face and I smiled, feeling safe.

Grovyle's POV

I smiled as I watched Haley fall asleep. I reached out and wiped the hair from her face gently, careful not to wake her up.

"You care about her a lot, don't you, Grovyle?" Starflight asked quietly. I looked up to see him watching us with a sorrowful gleam in his eyes.

I frowned. "Well, yes," I answered. "She saved my life, multiple times. We're friends. At least, I'd like to think that we were. At the very least, we are good partners."

"That's not what I meant," Starflight shook his head. My confusion deepened.

"Then what did you mean?" I asked.

He looked at me sharply. "Then maybe you don't like her the way I thought. But I know she feels a bond stronger than just friends, Grovyle."

My eyes widened in realization as I grasped what he was trying to say. "Starflight; it's not like that," I assured him hastily. "I'm her first friend; before she met me she only had her mother. Well, and Dusknoir for a little bit, but Dusknoir's such a bastard that he doesn't really count."

"So you're saying that she only cares for you so much because you're her friend?" Starflight repeated doubtfully.

"_Yes_," I stressed the word. "She doesn't like me that way… She couldn't." I muttered the last in a soft voice, more to myself than to Starflight. There was no way that Haley could like me like that; she was a human and I was a pokémon, and that was that. No matter if Darkrai was her father or whatever – she was still human. Even if we saw each other as more than friends, it wouldn't matter because we could never be together… right? I shook my head impatiently. Why was I even considering this?

Starflight watched me shrewdly. "I bring it up now, because I want you to remember that once you fix time; we'll all disappear. You may not have much time left with her."

I closed my eyes, pained. "You think I don't know that?" I whispered. "It hurts, I'll admit it… All my life, I've been trained for this – to collect the Time Gears and ki- _defeat_ Dusknoir. It's only been since I met Haley that I've had a glimpse of how life is supposed to be. Since I met Haley, I've actually _started_ to live. So, to know that it will all be gone, sooner than I expected… Yeah, it's hard. But I meant what I said earlier. This is about more than our own happiness. This is about the entire world. And I am willing to give my life for the rest of the world."

I opened my eyes, staring at Starflight determinedly. "Are you, Starflight? I know Uxie predicted your death; I'm not stupid. You've known it for even longer, though, haven't you?"

Starflight gaped at me, surprised. "How did you-" he broke himself off. "You've changed in the time that I've known you, Grovyle," he said softly. His eyes rose to meet mine, black pupils serious. "Yes, I have seen my own death, Grovyle. It is one of many futures possible. It all depends on choices, good and bad. I've known for quite some time now, Grovyle. It was years ago that I caught the first glance; and it's been the one vision I keep having, time and time again."

I felt my heart wrench for him. "I can't imagine what it must be like for you, Starflight," I murmured quietly.

"Don't feel sorry for me, Grovyle. Like you said, everyone dies eventually. When it comes, it will be my time. There is nothing to change. I've accepted it." Starflight looked at me sharply. "Don't mourn something that has yet to pass, Grovyle. Life is too short for that. Enjoy life while you can, just remember that."

I nodded. "Thanks, Starflight. For everything."

Haley's POV

My mother and I were sitting at the kitchen table, eating vanilla ice cream out of a big tub. She was talking to me in her 'teacher' voice. "Now, Haley, it's important that you remember this," she stated earnestly. I nodded, looking her in the eyes. "One day you will have to make your own choices about your life."

"I know that, Mommy!" I said flippantly, rolling my eyes.

"Don't interrupt your mother, Haley," a male voice reprimanded me, though the voice was more amused than upset. I turned to see a shadow in the doorway. I got up excitedly, and threw my arms around the figure.

"Daddy! You're back!" I exclaimed, burrowing my head into his soft cape.

He chuckled indulgently, patting my head. "Hello, my little shadow-girl. How have you been faring?"

"I missed you; you were gone so long!" I whined, looking up into his face, where only one ice blue eye could be seen.

"Darkrai," my mother greeted my father coldly. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm visiting my daughter, Regina. Is that forbidden now, too?" Darkrai returned, bitterness flashing in his visible eye.

"I don't want you around her, Darkrai! She's just a kid; and I don't want you to-"

"To what, influence her?" Darkrai cut her off angrily. "I know that you are still angry with me, Regina, but the fact remains that she is my child as well! You may not believe it, but I care about her as much as you do, and I have the right to help raise my own child!"

I looked between my parents, confused and getting upset. "Why are you yelling at Mommy, Daddy? Can't we play ball together again?"

My mom sighed heavily. "Stay away from here, Darkrai. I mean it," she growled. "I have ways to ward you off; don't make me use them, because the results will not be pleasant for you."

Darkrai glared at my mom angrily before turning to me disappointedly. "Sorry, my little shadow-girl. Daddy has to leave… for quite some time. I came to say good-bye."

"What? B-But, D-Daddy," I sniffled. Darkrai shook his head and came over to me, lifting up my head, with his dark clawed hand under my chin.

"Don't cry, shadow-girl. We'll see each other again someday; I know it. When you are ready, you will find me." He opened his mouth to say something more, but I was shaken awake before I could hear it.

I opened my eyes to Grovyle's impatient face. "Great Mew, Haley! You're impossible to wake up! I was trying to get you up for ten minutes!"

I shook my head, rubbing my eyes. "Sorry," I muttered. "I was having a really strange dream… I think it was a memory from when I was really young."

"Well, dream later; we've got a desert lake to find!" Grovyle exclaimed excitedly.

I rolled my eyes and laughed at his impatience. "Fine, fine, Grovyle. I'm up now, anyway, so let's get moving!" I picked up my pack, and we moved into the dungeon in search of the Time Gear lake.

* § * § *

Thankfully, the caves underneath the desert were abandoned, for the most part. Occasionally, we would disturb a sleeping desert-dwelling pokémon, but those occurrences were few and far between. Before long, we reached a large cavern, which seemed to be the end of the dungeon.

We immediately noticed the lake, and stopped at the shore. I bent down and touched the water cautiously with my finger, relieved when it dipped into the water and came up wet. I retrieved our water bottles and filled them all to the brim.

While I was filling the bottles, Starflight and Grovyle were exploring the cavern. "Oh no," Grovyle murmured quietly, almost too soft to hear. Starflight and I turned our heads expectantly. He was standing in front of a prone form, floating a foot off the ground, frozen in time. We walked over to it, and my heart sunk as I recognized the pokémon.

"Mesprit," I whispered, bowing my head.

"She didn't escape the collapse of time, it would seem," Starflight rumbled sorrowfully.

I laid a hand on Mesprit's head, wondering if she would come to life with my touch, as water hanging in space sometimes did, but nothing happened. Then the familiar dizzy feeling swept over me. When my vision cleared, I was watching Mesprit in a panic, running from the collapse of time. She was talking to herself desperately.

"Got to get to Crystal Cave," she muttered to herself. "Gotta warn Azelf… gotta get aw-" she was cut off as the time collapse overcame her, and she froze in midair, her desperate face frozen forever in time. My vision went black again, and I opened my eyes to find myself on the ground.

"Well, as sad as this is, at least we now know where Azelf is," I said, picking myself up from the ground.

"Where?" Grovyle asked.

"Crystal Cave, according to Mesprit before she froze. He might have moved on, but it's a place to start… Well, even if he's not there now, if he was there at the time of the Collapse, he was most likely protecting the Time Gear, so Crystal Cave must be the location of the last Time Gear," I replied.

"Then that's our next destination!" Grovyle turned to Starflight. "Ummm, have either of you two thought about how we're going to get out of here?"

I pointed towards a little light near the tunnel to the dungeon. "The portal, of course. I'll bet Mesprit installed it so she could get in and out of the caves easily."

"Uh, right," Grovyle replied sheepishly, his cheeks blushing a dark green. "I should have thought of that."

We left the dungeon, and came to the clearing in front of the quicksand pits. "So we still have to leave the desert, ugh," Grovyle complained.

"Oh, that would be the least of your worries, I would think, Grovyle." A _very_ familiar voice chuckled. "Surround them!"

It was Dusknoir and the Sableye.

**A/N: And that's a wrap for today, folks!**

… **JUST KIDDING! I wouldn't actually do that, haha.**

I gasped and looked around. At least fifteen Sableye raced into the clearing from where they had been hiding amongst the sand dunes. Dusknoir formed out of the shadows, an evil grin on his face. I clenched my teeth angrily and glared at him while touching my scar faintly.

Grovyle had frozen, every muscle in his body tense. He stared at Dusknoir and the Sableye, eyes cold and distant, thinking fast.

"We've finally caught up with you, Haley and Grovyle!" Dusknoir announced triumphantly. "You gave us the slip for a while there-"

"Oh, for the love of Ho-oh! He's gonna go on one of his 'I'm better than you and here's why' rants," I muttered to Grovyle sarcastically. He snorted in cynical amusement.

"You think I should mention that joke now?" he asked me. I grinned.

"It'd probably just piss him off, so why not?" I murmured back.

"-but you could never have gotten away. So you should give up now; I'd hate to do this the hard way," Dusknoir finished, our conversation unnoticed.

"Says the extremely overweight ghost who has to be slave to an insane legendary pokémon!" Grovyle taunted Dusknoir. The happy look faded from Dusknoir's face, replaced by outrage.

"Excuse me? What did you call me?!" he thundered.

"Oh, he just jumped to conclusions, Grovyle," I smirked. "Who said he was talking to you? Or do you always respond to that title?"

Dusknoir clenched his fists, anger flashing in his eye. "How dare you," he growled.

"I dare, because I'm not afraid of you!" I retorted, drawing _Dawnblanche_ in preparation for battle. "Bring it on, you fat Mamoswine!"

With a roar of rage, Dusknoir attacked me, causing the Sableye to take their cue and begin attacking Grovyle and Starflight. I slashed and hacked with _Dawnblanche_ as Dusknoir threw punches and Shadow Balls at me. He was fast and enraged, and he landed more hits than usual. Within minutes of the start of the fight, I was bruised and burned. I didn't let it stop me from giving it my all, though.

He was bleeding his shadowy ghost blood out of several nasty cuts. We circled each other for a moment, looking for a weakness in the other's defenses. "You'll regret the day you decided to cross me, Haley," Dusknoir snarled.

"Will I, Dusknoir?" I asked, eyebrows raised. "Somehow, I don't think I will. No matter what you do to me, I'll never regret deciding to fight for a better future… even if I won't be able to see that future."

"So you _do_ remember my words," Dusknoir remarked, tilting his head. "I don't understand you, Haley. I don't understand why you would be willing to give up your life for a world that you won't even be able to live in. Why would you rather be dead than alive?"

"In this world, there is nothing to live _for_, Dusknoir!" I snapped. "Not that you would ever understand." I attacked again, slashing at his stomach. He dodged and swiped at me, giving me a black eye as his fist connected with my scarred eye. I yelped in pain, falling to the ground, stunned. I shook my head dizzily, looking up at Dusknoir's face, darkened with hatred and anger. He pulled back to land another blow, and I braced myself.

Then, with an almighty roar of enraged insanity, the Dark Flygon Starflight and Grovyle had spotted earlier crashed into the clearing, grabbing a Sableye in his great maw and snapping down, killing the Sableye before it could even scream. Everyone reeled back from the dark dragon. Upon spitting out his kill, the dragon raised his head, fixing everyone in the clearing with an angry, insane glare. The Sableye all started to tremble violently.

"IIIEEEEEEHAAAA!" As one entity, they screamed, turned tail, and ran away. Dusknoir glared after them.

"Cowards," he muttered to himself, then looked at the Dark Flygon. He smirked. "Guess he'll do my job for me. See you, never!" With those words, he faded into darkness. The Flygon looked even angrier that more of his prey had escaped. He roared angrily.

"We can't outrun it!" Grovyle shouted as I got up to do that very thing.

"No, but we can sure as hell try!" I shouted back.

"Go," Starflight snapped at Grovyle. "I'll hold him off!"

I stopped. "What? NO! Starflight, you can't!"

He looked at me sternly. "Yes, I can, and I will. I've known this was coming for a long time, Haley. Go, find the last Time Gear location. Go to Celebi in Dusk Forest and get her help in crossing the Passage of Time. Then, save the world; restore time! We're all counting on you! We put our faith in you two! NOW GO!" With that, he faced the Flygon and let out a roar of his own, rising into the air. The Flygon turned to fight him, charging up a Hyper Beam.

Grovyle grabbed my hand, and dragged me along until I was running along with him, tears streaming down my face as I listened to the brutal battle raging behind me. I could hear the roars and shrieks of pain from both dragons.

Eventually, Grovyle and I made it out of the desert. He found a cave to camp in, and I collapsed inside it, sobbing. Grovyle said nothing, knowing that there was nothing that could be said. He merely held me as I cried into his chest, arms wrapped around his torso. I fell asleep like that, tears still streaming from my eyes as I slid into unconsciousness against his warm, soft body.

**A/N: AWWWWWWWWW! …Haley/Grovyle bonding! ^^ You'll see what happened to Starflight with the second chapter I uploaded –it's a special episode. O_o Anyways… I have a question, now. So I fixed something in this chapter 'cause MysticDragon01 thought it was unrealistic… So I'm curious. He said that people don't actually fall to the ground laughing. Yet, I have done so, and more than once. Am I just strange? Or do people really fall to the ground laughing sometimes? Yes, I know I'm strange, but … x shrugs x tell me what you think! IN A REVIEW! *hint hint* ^^**


	30. Extra 15: Starflight's Last Stand

**A/N: So this is Starflight's POV of the Dark Flygon battle, and of his last moments. :( So sad! D:**

Extra #15: Starflight's Last Stand

Starflight's POV

As I stared at the Dark Flygon, I knew my time had come at last. The hour of fate had arrived. It was time… finally time for me to face the end. The only question was, would I face it with courage and dignity or would I try to run like a coward? I looked at Grovyle, the young but brave and hardened soldier. His face was set – he was determined to face this threat just as he had everything else in his life. My eyes moved on to Haley – her face gaunt and scarred, but still the face of a young girl. In her eyes was fear, and yet acceptance. She was ready to face death if she had to, though she feared the end, or, more perhaps, letting her mother down, as she had promised her that she'd save the world.

Looking at the two of them, children who were no longer children, forced thus by this horrible dark world, I knew what my answer would be. "Go," I snapped at Grovyle. "I'll hold him off!"

Haley protested, as I knew she would. "What? NO! Starflight, you can't!"

I looked at her sternly. Yes, I can, and I will. I've known this was coming for a long time, Haley. Go, find the last Time Gear location. Go to Celebi in Dusk Forest and get her help in crossing the Passage of Time. Then, save the world; restore time! We're all counting on you! We put our faith in you two! NOW GO!" I faced the Flygon then, and let out a challenging roar.

He returned it, accepting the challenge, and I rose into the air to meet him, ready for a fight to the death. He started by charging a Hyper Beam, and I rushed at him, focusing on willing the white power to fill my claws, in the hopes of negating his charge. As I neared him, I struck out with my front claws, crashing against his rock-hard body, causing sand-like blood to pour out of his wounds.

It left me open to a Hyper Beam to the face at point-blank range. I reared back, roaring in pain that the Flygon echoed when I managed to slam him with my tail. I began to charge my own Hyper Beam, and unleashed it at his wings, hoping to ground him. He dodged it, eyes narrowed in concentration, and he seemed to flicker in the air.

Then he was suddenly everywhere, flitting in and out of my sight, biting me as I turned, trying to find him. I roared in frustration, losing my temper and lashing out with my tail in a spin, fortunately stopping him. I bit down on his wing angrily, ignoring his earsplitting shriek, not letting go until I had crushed the bones of his wing.

I lifted my head from his wing and attacked the other the same way, ignoring his swipes to my belly, which caused my blood to spill onto his face. He shook his head, annoyed, and then roared in my face. I reeled back, startled, but managed to take a chunk of his wing with me.

Not waiting for him to recover, I flew up into the air and belched blue flames at him. It burned him, but he shook off the pain and jumped on top of me as I landed, forcing me into the ground. He bit my wings, but he didn't have the jaw power to crush the bones as I had; instead he tore the wing membrane with his smaller but sharper teeth. I tried to throw him off but he bit at the back of my neck, tearing out chunks of flesh.

I finally shook him off, and pounced at him, aiming for his neck. I crunched down on it with all my strength and he went limp beneath me. Panting, I backed off of him, assuming he was dead. That was my fatal mistake. Reanimating suddenly, he slashed at my neck, leaving behind a deep, three foot slash. I roared and batted him away with my front paw, smashing his neck into a rock.

He fell to the ground, this time truly dead, but it was too late for me. I collapsed onto the sand, feeling weary as my life seeped out of my wounds and onto the sand. I lifted my head to the sky one last time, seeking but not finding the stars that had always been there in my youth. "Save time, Haley," I murmured. "I know you can… Arceus Bless you… Haley…" I laid my head down, too tired to keep it up any longer. My eyes slowly drifted shut.

The last thing I saw before everything faded may have been a hallucination, but I could have sworn I saw one twinkle of light in the sky from the East, before I faded into oblivion… and peace.

**A/N: Awwwwwwwwwww! At least he had a –sort of- peaceful death, right? Now he can't be hurt anymore! X sad smile x**


	31. Chapter 28: My Life Officially Sucks

A/N: Welcome to the next chapter! Remember to fasten your seatbelts and have your trays in the upright and locked position until we are at cruising altitude. ^^

Chapter 28: My Life Officially Sucks

Grovyle's POV

Haley was quieter than usual. Starflight's death really affected her. She had a solemn air about her all the time now. It wasn't like after her mother's death, when she had tears in her eyes all the time. No, she seemed more grave than sad this time around. After that first cry where I held her until she fell asleep, she had not shed a single tear.

Something about her had changed, and I couldn't quite place it. She was quieter, true, but it seemed to be more than that. She only spoke when she had to; if I asked her a direct question or if I needed to know something.

When I asked her if she was alright, she would stare at me as if confused, and then ask why she wouldn't be. I would then give her an incredulous look, but I always dropped it, because at this point, we simply could not afford to stop and grieve. We had run into Dusknoir without his Sableye entourage outside the desert during our travels, so he knew that we still lived. Once he regrouped with more Sableye, he would, no doubt, be after us again.

I looked at Haley, who was walking beside me. She walked with her head held high, and she didn't seem depressed, though there was still that strange air about her that I could not place.

"We'll be at Crystal Cave soon," she announced, looking around. My eyes flicked to the path ahead and saw the looming cave. I nodded at it while she looked forward and continued, monotone, "As I said. The bag is ready for the dungeon; we still have two reviver seeds, a couple silver spikes, and some apples. Oh, and a one-room-orb, though I have no idea when we'd ever use that."

I sighed. "Haley…"

She looked at me expectantly. "Yes, Grovyle?"

I shook my head. "What is going on Haley?"

"I'm sure I have no idea what you mean, Grovyle. You keep asking me if I'm alright; there's no reason I shouldn't be, right? I mean, it's not like I didn't know this was coming," she replied, a hint of bitterness in her voice. "Just leave it alone, Grovyle. Come on, the final Time Gear is waiting." She turned to the entrance of Crystal Cave and walked in. With a final sigh, I followed, wishing my old partner would come back.

Haley's POV

Grovyle was getting overprotective. He had asked me several dozen times already if I was alright. I wanted to grab his shoulders and just shake it into him that I was fine, but I knew that he'd just get worse if I did that.

I _was_ fine! I did my grieving for Starflight. It was sad, yes, and I wished he were still here, but it had been his time. He was born in the time of light, well over a hundred years ago. Dragons lived a long time, but he had been getting old, even for a dragon. He died protecting me and Grovyle.

He wouldn't want me to mope around after his death; he would want me to go on. Besides, I was beginning to realize that every person close to me ended up dead, or worse. Being a human in a pokémon world was a curse. If I had to sum up my feelings, they would be… resigned. I would not push Grovyle away, it was too late for that, but I had to devote everything I had to the mission.

I had nothing left but Grovyle, and soon he would be taken from me, too. I could feel it, deep in my very soul, a feeling of dark foreboding. I knew that something was coming, and we had to confirm the final Time Gear location and move through time before it arrived.

Pokémon: The Paralyzed Planet

The pokémon of the dungeon were no match for Grovyle at his now formidable skill level, so we reached the end of the Crystal Cave dungeon in good time. The said end was only a small clearing where three abnormally large crystals stood in a triangle formation.

"These must be the key to the path to Crystal Lake," Grovyle said, walking into the middle of the triangle. He approached one of the crystals and touched it. It flashed and changed color from blue to yellow. The other crystals were both red. I touched one, and it changed to green.

"They all change color," I said, touching the final crystal to make sure. I experienced the trademark dizzy sensation of a Dimensional Scream, and sat down in preparation for a vision. Everything went black, and I heard an unrecognizable voice whisper, '_Azelf is the key._' Then my vision came back.

"All I heard was, 'Azelf is the key,'" I reported to Grovyle.

He grimaced. "Well, at least we know for sure that this is the location of the Time Gear. We can leave after we figure out the puzzle."

I nodded and looked around, trying to remember what I knew of Azelf. "Azelf is one of the three Spiritual pokémon. Uxie is the knowledge pokémon, Mesprit is the emotion pokémon, and Azelf is the willpower pokémon."

"Azelf is the Being of Willpower," Grovyle repeated. "Willpower… it's the emotion that drives us. It's a unifying power. To unify is to make one. So, in order to make a path to Crystal Lake, all the crystals must be made to be the same color...? But, which one? What color is Azelf's spirit?"

"Azelf is blue," I said. "I remember because he was my favorite Spiritual Pokémon for that very same fact. I had a phase where everything had to be blue; I loved it so much."

Grovyle huffed a laugh at that, then proceeded to change the colors of the crystals to blue. When all of them were blue, we backed up as an even larger crystal erupted from the ground, revealing the entrance to another cave. I grinned at Grovyle.

"Great job, partner! Now we can go find Celebi and finally rid this world of darkness!"

"I don't think so. This is the end of the road," an eerie dark voice boomed, echoing throughout the small cavern.

I looked around, expecting to hear Sableye laughs any second and see them run into view and surround us. Instead, six different pokémon surrounded us. A Floatzel, Froslass, Purugly, Golem, Metagross, and Rampardos. I gulped.

The owner of the eerie voice laughed. "Not so sure of your odds now? But… I'm willing to negotiate." Darkrai formed out of the shadows.

I gritted my teeth. "Darkrai! Why won't you leave me alone?"

Darkrai's visible eye met mine. "Because, as much as you and Gina hated it, I am still your father. You are denying your very nature, Haley, and it is killing you. I had you for a reason, and you are destroying everything that I have worked long and hard for."

"A world of darkness? That's what you want?" I demanded. "Then go to the Distortion World, isn't that plenty dark enough for you?"

"That world is not my home. This world is."

"And so it has to be full of darkness? What is darkness without light to compliment it?!" I yelled, exasperated. "I never truly appreciated the darkness until I saw the world of the light! In this world, everything is dark. In the world with time, there is both light and darkness, and the difference only intensifies the beauty of both!"

Darkrai glared at me. "It doesn't matter what you think. I'm not allowing you to continue this foolish, suicidal quest. You are coming with me." He floated forward, and I backed up.

Grovyle touched my hand with his claw reassuringly. "I'm here," he whispered. I quirked a smile. He always knew exactly what to say; what I needed him to say.

"I'm not going anywhere with you, Darkrai," I declared, sounding more confident than I felt.

Darkrai scowled. "You _are_ coming with me, Haley, whether you like it or not. The only variable is, will we leave Grovyle alive or not?"

Fear shot down my spine. "No," I whispered, grabbing Grovyle's claw. "No. You leave him out of this, Darkrai!"

He smirked. "Come along then, and no one needs to get hurt."

Grovyle growled. "Don't do it, Haley. I can take care of myself."

"Can you really, Grovyle?" Darkrai asked, sounding amused. "Against six fully evolved pokémon, all on your own?"

"He won't be alone! I'll stand beside him!" I snapped. Darkrai just looked at me coldly. His eyes flashed light for a moment, and I collapsed.

"Haley!" Grovyle reached for me, but was held back by the Froslass, who grabbed his arms. Grovyle growled and fought, but was unable to free himself.

I lay on the stony ground, trying to summon up the energy to get up, to even move, but all I could to was move my eyes. I felt so tired. Darkrai leaned down with another smirk. "You were saying, Haley?"

I couldn't reply, but the glare I gave him got the point across. Darkrai chuckled. "You have two choices, Haley. You can agree to come with me and not try to escape; in which case we will leave Grovyle alone, albeit unconscious so that he doesn't try a rescue attempt. Or, we can just kill him right now."

"No!" I managed to say softly but forcefully.

"You will not try to escape?"

I swallowed. _Not right away_. "I won't," I whispered. Darkrai grinned evilly, and then everything went dark.

A/N: Uh, yeeeeaah. That turned out different from what even I expected, but Darkrai tapped on my shoulder and just insisted and kept insisting. I have finished the last chapter, it is being edited as you read. Yes, next chapter is the last chapter! Which brings me to my next point: I have a poll on my profile about which story I should do next. Please vote, I'm interested to know what you guys want! :D


	32. Chapter 32: Hope for a New Day

**A/N: Well, this is it, I do believe. The last chapter. Man, has it been a LONG ride. Two years and it's finally finished. I will be editing the first few chapters as they are really bad in quality to my later chapters. You can go read them later if you want; they'll be the same basic stuff, but more detail and not as much bad writing in general. I will add an epilogue when I am ready to start posting the sequel. Thanks again for all your support and for the OCs. Remember that it will be a while until the sequel, as I won't start it until my NaNoWriMo story is complete, and then I won't post it until I have most of it written because I felt so bad that I disappeared for months on end because of writer's block.**

SO… without further ado, the LAST CHAPTER of

Pokémon: The Paralyzed Planet.

Chapter 29: Hope for a New Day

Haley's POV

When I woke, it was to darkness. I was used to darkness, obviously, but this darkness was absolute, with no light whatsoever. It was soothing, in a way. But upon remembering the events after which I had blacked out, I knew Darkrai must be somewhere nearby. For a second, I trembled on the verge of panic, remembering Grovyle's hostage situation. But I composed myself, taking deep breaths as I tried to think logically. Grovyle was good at holding his own, and he had survived for a long time without me. There was a good chance that he was alive and safe. With that in mind, I tried to move and found that I was able to sit up.

"What did he even want with me?" I grumbled to myself. "Or did he just want me out of the way so that I wouldn't mess up his stupid world domination scheme?"

"Well, that was certainly part of it," Darkrai's voice echoed through the darkness. "But really, it's been so long since we've had a civil conversation, Haley. Eleven years, I do believe, give or take. It's kind of hard to tell."

"And whose fault is that?" I asked wryly. I could almost _feel_ the smirk on Darkrai's face at that comment.

"I've been having dreams," I said suddenly. Darkrai didn't reply. "You're in them, and so is my mom, and me, when I was smaller. I think they're memories."

"You are no doubt remembering things your mother didn't want you to remember. She once had a Slowking erase some of your memories so that you didn't know who I was when I came to visit," Darkrai replied bitterly.

I blinked. "But… she wouldn't do that to me!"

"That's what I thought, too. She wouldn't dare use a psychic's powers on her daughter while she was still young… it could have ended very badly for you. Children's minds are still under development, and thus are very fragile. That she had your memories removed just signified to me how desperate she was to remove me from her life. That's why I left and didn't contact you again for ten years."

I sighed. Maybe Darkrai wasn't the bad guy I thought he was. "But… I still don't understand why you are so set against the restoration of time."

"Because, Haley, I don't want to disappear. I don't want to disappear, and this world is beautiful as it is. I, _we_, thrive in this land. There is darkness everywhere! Don't tell me that you can't appreciate the darkness!

"Of course I appreciate it! I know what you feel, Darkrai - I have no choice. But at the expense of others?!"

Darkrai sighed. "You have too much of your mother in you. You put too much stock in others before yourself."

"Just because I put others before me doesn't mean I'm weak!" I snapped.

"I never said you were weak, Haley," Darkrai denied. He appeared out of the darkness, a faint glow of light around him.

I paused. "Where am I?"

"You're in a dream; where else would you be?" Darkrai asked with a smirk.

I clenched my teeth in anger. "So that scene in the Crystal Cavern… it was just a nightmare of yours?!"

"What else did you expect of me, Haley? I am the Lord of Dreams and Nightmares," Darkrai replied carelessly.

"You're the Lord of Nightmares, but certainly not dreams! That's Cresselia's job," I disagreed.

"What, you don't think Cresselia is incapable of giving nightmares as well as dreams? Or that I can only produce nightmares? If your thinking is so black and white, I am most certainly wasting my time with you, Haley!" Darkrai snarled angrily.

I sighed. "Perhaps you are _capable_ of giving good dreams, but you rarely do! _That_ is why you are Lord of Nightmares, not dreams!"

Darkrai narrowed his eyes at me. Then he gave a short laugh. "You got me there, Haley. Fine. Go ahead, ask me something; anything. I'll answer honestly."

I paused, thinking. Then a thought struck me, something I've always wondered about, but that no-one had been able to explain. Maybe Darkrai, as a Legendary pokémon, would know. "Time has stopped, theoretically. But then, how are we able to move around and age?"

Darkrai stopped. "_That's_ your question? Really?"

I shrugged. "Well, no-one has ever been able to explain it to me before. Or if they were able, they didn't want to."

Darkrai laughed. "Very well then, as you wish. I'll explain: Dialga is still alive. Time is a relative notion in the first place. The Time that caused the sun to rise, the weather to form, and the winds to blow is frozen. But the Time that we perceive is not gone, because Dialga is still alive," Darkrai replied.

"Why are you answering my questions at all?" I demanded skeptically.

"Because I want you to see that I'm not the bad guy you think I am!" Darkrai growled in exasperation.

"Well, what else am I supposed to think! This world might be ideal for _us_, but not for the other creatures living here!" I snapped.

"And that's what you need to get over, this caring for other creatures! You should care about yourself more than any other person!"

I shook my head. "No, that's not right. It's not right to put your own life before hundreds of others."

"But it's not just you that will disappear, Haley! It's all of us; all of us in this dark world!"

"That may be, but we will be disappearing for the sake of the creatures in the world of time. The creatures, pokémon and human alike, will be able to have a new day, a new start, and a new hope. That is what matters."

Darkrai was silent for a time. "Perhaps you'll think differently when you see how the world truly is."

Then he faded away, and I was left alone to my thoughts in the dark.

Pokémon: The Paralyzed Planet

Grovyle's POV

I cursed Darkrai's name to the darkest corner of the Chaos World as I wiped Haley's forehead with a wet towel. She was burning up with a fever, but because she was engulfed in his nightmare, I could barely get enough water down her throat to keep her alive. After we had solved the Crystal Cave puzzle, she had gone rigid, as if she was having a Dimensional Scream, and then she had collapsed.

I'd picked her up to carry her to safety, which was not easy considering she was taller than me and heavier than me by a good thirty pounds. I'd ended up half-dragging her, half-carrying her to a small cave outside Crystal Cave. She had started to toss and turn not long after we'd arrived, and had not ceased since. She was obviously in the throes of a nightmare, but I had no way to stop it. She would have to get out of it on her own, as I would not leave her to find help, and I had no way to signal Celebi.

I stroked her hair sadly. "Come out of it, Haley, please," I whispered. "I need you, partner. You're the best friend I've ever had. I can't lose you; not now."

Pokémon: The Paralyzed Planet

Haley's POV

I don't know how long I sat in the dark, just listening to my own thoughts. I tried to walk around but I didn't get anywhere, as if I were in an endless dark space. I tried yelling at Darkrai, then asking nicely, but no one answered. I was all alone in the dark.

At first it wasn't bad, then it got boring quickly. Now, it was starting to worry me. I had no idea how long I'd been there, and I was worried about Grovyle. I knew what had happened in the Crystal Cavern was a dream, but there was no telling if Darkrai had hurt Grovyle or put him in a nightmare as well.

I sighed. Grovyle was my best friend, the one who lasted the longest – well, aside from my mother, but she was my mom. I'd had pokémon friends before; in fact, I'd even had a human friend once, a long time ago.

My mom and I had once traveled through a human settlement and stayed there for a while. I met Alexa there, a girl my age and with the same excitement and adventurous spirit as mine. There had been a small dungeon, Oran Forest, right outside the settlement, and Alexa and I would play there for hours, pretending we were a pokémon exploration team. I would always be a Houndoom, and she'd be a Lucario, and together we were Team FirePunch.

Then, at the end of the day, we'd always get in trouble for going into the dungeon. But the next day, we'd go right back into the forest, and get in trouble all over again. However, all that ended one day, when the settlement broke up after an angry Torterra smashed many of the tents and killed four people - my friend Alexa included.

I made a wish at the moment of her death; I wished that she would become the Lucario she had so longed to be, one day. The strange thing was, the Torterra could have easily killed me as well, since I had been standing right beside Alexa, but it had looked at me and walked away.

Maybe it had sensed the pokémon in me; or maybe it was just dumb. For whatever reason, it hadn't killed me, leaving me instead to grieve over my friend, only six years old at the time.

I bit my lip as more memories came to me; memories of my friends, pokémon and human alike, who had all been close to me only to end up worse in the end. Even if they weren't dead, they ended up crippled or as traitors in their own right, like Dusknoir.

Grovyle was the last and best of all of my friends. I couldn't lose him. My best friend, my partner for life and beyond. I couldn't lose him; I would find him, I knew it.

It was then that I heard it; a whisper. "Come out of it, Haley, please. I need you, partner. You're the best friend I've ever had. I can't lose you; not now." My eyes widened. That was Grovyle's voice! How was I hearing it in a nightmare? Then it dawned on me. How had I broken out of Darkrai's nightmares before?

I focused. _It's all a nightmare. It's nothing but a nightmare. It isn't real. It's all…_ "It's all a nightmare!" I shouted and shot up, bumping Grovyle on the head.

He reeled back, wincing in pain. "Gee! If I had known all it would take to wake you up was whisper in your ear; I would have done it long ago!"

I grimaced. "Sorry, Grovyle."

"It's fine," he replied, and looked up at me with a smile. "It's great to see you back in the world of the living!"

"It's great to be back. I'm going to kill Darkrai the next time I see him, mark my words," I grumbled.

"Hopefully, we'll never see him again. Let's get to Dusk Forest, pronto!" Grovyle said cheerfully.

I stood up carefully, stretching my sore limbs. "Great Arceus above, I feel like a Graveler rolled over me," I groaned, hearing my back crack several times.

"Or you're just getting old," Grovyle teased. "I think I see some gray hair."

I stuck my tongue out at him. "I'm fourteen years old! I'm not old!" Then I paused. "Well, maybe I'm fifteen by now… hard to tell. Whatever; either way, I'm not old!"

"Touchy," Grovyle commented mischievously, his eyes sparkling.

"I'll show you old, you overgrown lizard," I muttered. "Race you to that floating boulder over there!" With that and a brief point in the boulder's direction, I took off running.

"Hey, no fair, you got a head start!" Grovyle complained, racing after me.

"If you're really faster than me, it won't matter, will it?" I called back.

Sure enough, Grovyle soon caught up to me. "Silly human, don't you know pokémon are always faster than humans?" Grovyle taunted before accelerating past.

I scowled at the back of his head, and then closed my eyes, concentrating. I began running faster, and soon I was matching Grovyle in speed.

"How are you doing that?" Grovyle asked, wide eyed. I winked at him, and then reached out and touched the boulder, but only seconds after Grovyle had leapt atop it.

"Darn it! I almost won!" I pouted, sticking out my bottom lip teasingly.

Grovyle rolled his eyes. "You used your powers, didn't you?" he asked with a smile.

"Yeah," I nodded. Then I looked around, feeling a chill, and abruptly became serious. "We really should get going to Dusk Forest. Dusknoir is no doubt still searching for us, and he knew we were heading for Crystal Cave."

"...Right. Let's go," Grovyle agreed, and we set off.

Pokémon: The Paralyzed Planet

After a couple days of travel, we arrived at the entrance to Dusk Forest. I looked around carefully to make sure we weren't being followed, and then I led Grovyle to a particular tree inside the forest. I climbed up the branches and into the tree's hollow interior, Grovyle close behind.

Then I went to a small chime hanging from a branch. I rang it, sending the sound of chimes ringing through the forest.

"That should do it. Celebi will be here soon."

"And so will every other creature that heard it!" Grovyle grumbled.

"No, they all know it's a call for Celebi, and they daren't interfere with a Legendary's business," I explained. "According to Celebi, anyway."

"And I'm never wrong! Tee-Hee!" giggled a high voice.

"Celebi, it's good to see you," I greeted the pink Legendary, who fluttered into view.

"I'm hoping this means you've found all the locations?" she asked, flipping in the air.

"Yes, finally," Grovyle confirmed. "Sorry for how long it took."

"It's fine, my dear Grovyle! Oh, but wherever is dear Starflight?" Celebi asked, turning to me.

I swallowed, then bowed my head. "He… Oh, Celebi, he's dead. He died saving Grovyle and me from a Dark Flygon."

Celebi trembled in the air, her permanent smile gone. "Oh… my poor Starflight," she sighed sadly.

"You knew him well, didn't you?" I asked tenderly.

"Yes… we're two of the few pokémon left who remember the world of the past. Aside from us, only other Legendaries remember or are even still alive from the past world. He was like a brother to me," Celebi said sadly. "But… he died fighting for what he believed in, and that's what he always wanted." She composed herself with a tremble. "Well... let's get going to the Passage of Time!"

"Passage of Time?" I questioned. "I thought you were going to send us to the past?"

"I am. I can travel through time all by myself, and I can bring others with me, but for long jumps that span many generations, I have to use a conduit to help focus my powers. That's what the Passage of Time is, a conduit. Only Dialga and other Celebi can use the Passage of Time. Other pokémon who can travel through time must use a Dimensional Hole. In any case, the Passage of Time is in the Black Swamp right now - it changes location every once in a while," she explained, catching my confused look. "It's a security measure. Dialga doesn't like me as it is… when he finds out that I've sent you guys to the past, he'll be sure to come after me. But, I'd rather help you save the world of the past than keep living in this dreary, depressing, dark world."

We made it through Dusk Forest easily, and soon stood before the Passage of Time. It was composed of several archways made of a blue-green light, with a portal past them. "Just walk through and I'll do the rest!" Celebi exclaimed.

"Thank you so much for all your help, Celebi." I gave her a hug, tears welling in my eyes.

"Tee-hee! It's no problem for me, dear Haley," she replied, hugging me back. Then she turned to Grovyle.

"My dear Grovyle, I suppose this is goodbye," she whispered, sadness and a trace of something else in her eyes.

Grovyle bowed to her formally. "It is, Celebi. On behalf of everyone in this future, we thank you for the chance to change the past."

Celebi nodded. "It was the least I could do. It does get so boring in this dreary and dark world. Hopefully we will see each other in the next life." She then turned to the Passage of Time and closed her eyes, focusing her powers.

I took Grovyle's claw in my hand, and our eyes met. "Let's go, partner," I whispered. He nodded at me, and we stepped into the Passage of Time, determined to change the past and save the world.

A/N: Well, it's finally complete. After so long, I'm done. Remember that I will edit the first chapters, so look out for those, and I will post the epilogue when the sequel is ready to be posted. Thank you again for all your help and support!

A note on Darkrai and why he seems so odd and OOC in this chapter: He is confused, quite honestly. He hasn't seen his daughter in years, after Gina forbade him contact with Haley. Now, you would think that, why could a mortal human order him around? Well, he isn't the evil bastard in the games, at least not yet (not sure if I want to make him that evil git). He likes the darkness, and he is bitter at the world for the way it has treated him, and he's self-serving and cruel at times, I'll admit. But he's not downright evil, and even evil people (at least in the books/games/movies I've seen) tend to love their children. So when Gina threatened to completely erase Haley's memories of him (and don't forget at that point she has those aura blades, which do a lot of damage to pokémon), he left well enough alone, at least until Haley got involved in the whole time thing. And I don't think it's too OOC of Gina to erase Haley's memories, because she just wants to protect her daughter. In any case, Darkrai loves Haley as his child, and he doesn't understand Haley's and Gina's desires to sacrifice themselves for others. It's just not who he is, and he can't comprehend that. And up to this point, he genuinely thinks that Haley is also just confused. He doesn't want to see that Haley really is willing to give up her life. Until she really goes through with the betrayal and goes to the past to change it, he's not willing to believe she'll actually do it. He tries to get through to Haley in any way that he can think of; but he doesn't know his daughter at all, only what preconceptions he has of her. He tries threats, blackmail, tries talking to her in this chapter, and none of it seems to work. That's why he so abruptly disappears, because he just doesn't know what to do, and he needed time to think. Then Haley breaks out of the nightmare, and off she and Grovyle go. In the epilogue, we'll see his POV again, and hopefully that will clear everything else up. ^^

P.S. Remember to vote which story you want me to work on next! The poll is on my profile page! :D


	33. Chapter 33: Epilogue

**A/N: So hello readers, it's me Flying Dragonite! I've FINALLY finished my prequel story; and now it's time to create my version of the games! I'll be incorporating the many OCs that you lovely readers have sent in; isn't that great? Hope you guys like this story as much as my last one! Also, note that I will be using third person in this story because I will be switching POVs between Grovyle and Haley, so third person is way easier. And yes, the prologue for this story is the same as the epilogue of PPP, just without the synopsis.**

Synopsis of Pokémon: The Paralyzed Planet

In the beginning of _The Paralyzed Planet_, Haley meets Dusknoir and is convinced to go on a journey with him to see Dialga, not knowing that Dusknoir and Dialga were evil. Along the journey to the Hidden Land, Haley is taught by Dusknoir how to fight pokémon; and she experiences the Dimensional Scream, though it is not the first time. When they reach the Hidden Land, Haley meets with Dialga, who explains the Dimensional Scream to her, and commands her to join him or he will kill her. Frightened, she agrees, but when she finds out that Dusknoir has been deceiving her and that he is evil, she flees.

She finds a dungeon and tries to flee through it, but a Gengar uses Dream Eater on her, almost killing her. Fortunately, she is saved by none other than Grovyle. When she wakes in Grovyle's cave, they talk and Grovyle realizes that Dialga will be after them. They flee from the cave but are forced into the dungeon again by a feral Dragonite. Dusknoir and Gengar show up, and Dusknoir acts like it was all a set-up to capture Grovyle, causing Grovyle to stop trusting Haley. Haley kills Gengar while Grovyle and Dusknoir fight, protecting Grovyle. Then, just when it seemed that Dusknoir was going to win the fight, a division of the PIT (Planetary Investigation Team) shows up and drives him away.

Haley is taken prisoner of the PIT, them believing that she had set up Grovyle. She is knocked out while fleeing from them, and she wakes up inside a jail cell. When Dusknoir and the Sableye attack the PIT's base, Haley fights on the PIT's side, saving Grovyle from Dusknoir, and driving Primal Dialga's servants away. She then rescues the PIT's leader, Ninetales from a dangerous condition by going to the Dark World with Grovyle and finding Ninetales' spirit. When they return from the Dark World, a meeting is held. It is decided that Haley and Grovyle go back to Haley's home to warn her mother, a former PIT member, that Dusknoir is on the move again.

Grovyle and Haley travel to her house. Grovyle was poisoned for a time after a dungeon, but Haley cured him. Then they were chased into a trap by a group of Houndour. The pokémon orchestrating the trap appears to be Dusknoir. Haley and Grovyle flee, and Grovyle goes over a cliff. Haley seems to be trapped, but she jumps after him and lands in a river, effectively saving her life. But when she gets to shore, she finds Grovyle laying dead. Dusknoir shows up again and commands her to give up. But then she noticed that Grovyle looked different, and she realized that it was all a nightmare. She hears her mother's voice, and the dream-state is lifted from her. Haley's mother, Gina, drives Dusknoir off, but then reveals that the pokémon who had appeared to be Dusknoir was not Dusknoir after all, but an imposter. She refuses to reveal who the imposter is, and the group returns to Haley's home.

When they arrive at the house, Gina reveals a secret room under the house where many weapons and books pertaining to the planet's paralysis were stored. Over the course of several weeks, Haley is trained by her mother and Grovyle how to fight with weapons, including an Aura Blade named Dawnblanche and a set of claws designed to fit over human hands. Gina explains the Aura Blade as a sword that draws the aura of its user and uses the aura in battle, making it a powerful weapon. Besides Dawnblanche, Gina also possesses another Aura Blade named after its previous owner: Dusknoir. She does not explain why Dusknoir had ever owned a sword; merely that he was very good at using it.

After several weeks, Grovyle and Haley go to Treeshroud Forest in search of a Time Gear. They explore the dungeon, eventually reaching the end; where Haley has her first Dimensional Scream in the presence of Grovyle. They travel back to Haley's home to find it invaded by Sableye. Grovyle holds the Sableye off while Haley races to find her mother. She finds her mother in the basement, confronted by Dusknoir. They exchange banter, which includes insinuations by Dusknoir of Haley's father; hinting that he was still alive, though Gina had always sworn that Haley's father was dead.

But before Haley could find out what Dusknoir meant, Gina attacks, and the battle rages. Eventually, they find themselves on the first floor again, and the heroes are just about to win, when a cheap shot to the back brings Haley's mother down before Haley's horrified eyes. She quickly kills the offender, a random sableye holding a knife. Then she begs her mother not to die. Dusknoir calls off the attack, thinking that the death of her mother would break Haley. Haley sings a song to sing her mother to heaven; and then she swears to herself that she would get revenge for her mother's death by restoring time just like her mother had always wanted.

Two months later the story picks up again, with Grovyle and Haley at Limestone Cavern. They find the final chamber, where Haley senses that the Treasure Box is more than what is seems, and they meet Ditto, who tells them about Fogbound Lake, and warns them of a dangerous protector there. Grovyle and Haley leave Limestone Cavern, and Dusknoir attacks them again. Haley orders Grovyle to flee while she takes on Dusknoir. Dusknoir and her have a sword fight that she wins, but she is unable to take Dusknoir's life. Dusknoir then attacks her when she turns away; almost killing her, but a mysterious stranger steps in and saves her life.

When Haley wakes up again, she meets her mysterious savior, a Salamence named Starflight. She finds out that when Dusknoir attacked her, he left her with a foot-long, thick scar across her right eye. She is barely able to see out of it, and has to make due. She finds out that she is at a mountain filled with dragon-types, and that an army built to destroy dragons is advancing on the mountain. She is forced to leave the mountain by the leaders, and faces Dusknoir once more.

Just when Dusknoir prepares to kill her, she is again saved by a mysterious stranger, who turns out to be Celebi. Celebi takes Haley to her forest, where they are joined by Starflight, who offers to join Haley in her mission to find the Time Gears because he claims she is the prophesied savior of the pokémon world.

Meanwhile, Grovyle was being chased by several Sableye, one of whom was starting to get sick of being pushed around and being Dusknoir's lackey. This said Sableye helps Grovyle and kills one of his companions. Grovyle thinks it's a trap, and kills the Sableye. Then Grovyle begins to have doubts about the way he was raised, and vows to become a better pokémon.

Grovyle and Haley meet up at Dusk Forest, and they, along with Starflight, travel to Fogbound Lake. They meet Uxie in a battle, and beat him, upon which Uxie reveals that he was only testing them, and gives them each words of wisdom. Then he tells them to remember the old stories about himself and the others of the Spiritual Trio, and then leaves.

They figure out that the other Time Gears must be guarded by Azelf and Mesprit, and they must be at lakes. They decide to search the desert for a lake, since most people wouldn't think of finding water in a desert, so it'd be the perfect hiding spot. They travel for a while, and then settle down for the 'night.'

Haley has a dream where Darkrai comes to her and reveals that he is her 'father,' that is, she has his DNA inside her because he possessed her human father when she was conceived. When she wakes up, she begs Starflight to tell her that Darkrai is just insane, but Starflight reveals stories about shadow humans, humans born from ghost pokémon possessing humans, and how they have powers beyond normal humans.

Grovyle assures Haley that it doesn't change anything, and they continue on to the desert. At the beginning of the desert, Starflight and Grovyle notice a Dark Flygon, a very dangerous dragon, coming toward them. They flee into the desert and they find quicksand pools and jump in on Haley's insistence. They find the Underground Lake, where Mesprit is frozen in time, and then leave the underground cave. Dusknoir and his Sableye show up again, but so does the Dark Flygon. It eats one of the Sableye, causing the others to flee in terror. Dusknoir leaves them to die, and Starflight sacrifices himself by fighting the Flygon so that Grovyle and Haley can escape.

Grovyle and Haley then go to Crystal Cave and solve the Crystal Crossing puzzle, whereupon Haley collapses in a Nightmare. She thinks that they have been surrounded and Darkrai appears, ordering her to come with him or Grovyle will be killed. She agrees, and she and Darkrai talk for a time, before she loses her temper and Darkrai disappears. She then fears for Grovyle's life, and reflects on how all of her friends have been torn from her in one way or another, through harm or death, even traitors like Dusknoir.

Then she hears Grovyle's voice, pleading for her to come back to him, and she realizes that Darkrai had merely put her in a Nightmare, and she wakes up. The two then travel to Dusk Forest, where Celebi is waiting for them. They travel through the Passage of Time, and that is where we left our heroes.

So; without further ado, Flying Dragonite presents:

**Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Through the Dimensions of Time and Space**

_**Part 1: The Deception**_

Prologue: Through the Passage of Time

"Thank you so much for your help, Celebi," Haley said.

"Tee-hee! It's no problem for me, dear Haley." The small pink Legendary replied cheerfully.

The team of three made it through Dusk Forest easily, and soon stood before the Passage of Time. It was several archways made of a blue-green light, with a portal at the end of the archways. "Just walk through; I'll do the rest!" Celebi said.

Haley took Grovyle's claw in her hand. "Let's go, partner," she said. He nodded at her, and they walked into the Passage of Time, determined to change the past and save the world.

As they began to time travel, a shadow suddenly swooped into the Passage of Time after them. Haley noticed it right away. "What's that?"

Grovyle looked around, "What?"

Suddenly a large ball of black energy sped toward Grovyle. Haley pushed him out of the way, and took the brunt of the attack. She screamed in pain, and Grovyle exclaimed in surprise.

"No! Don't let go!" He pleaded to his partner as the swirls of time sped around them, pulling them apart. "Just a little longer… Come on, hang on!"

But Haley couldn't keep her hold on Grovyle any longer. She yelled in desperation as her fingers slipped from his claws. "WAAAAAAAAHHHH!" She screamed as she disappeared into the streams of time.

**A/N: So I hope you all enjoy the sequel!**


End file.
